


coursing through my veins

by justanexercise



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Dubious Consent, F/F, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Red Kryptonite, Red Kryptonite Kara Danvers, not the bullshit suddenly reformed s03 mon-el, s02 mon-el
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2018-10-23 04:11:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10711920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanexercise/pseuds/justanexercise
Summary: Alex gets hit with a red kryptonite substance meant for Kara.





	1. Teaser

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: special thanks to purrpickle & 23deecy for letting me yell about this fic and organizing my thoughts.

 

Balancing two extra-large pizzas in her hands, Alex presses the phone between her shoulder and ear closer.

“Are you home yet?”

The whistling wind and Kara’s piffles signal that no, she is indeed not home.

“Five minutes huh? Starving huh?”

“I am starving!” Kara huffs in her ear. “I just had to get Fluffy down from the tree…again.”

“Fluffy the snake or the cat?”

“Snake.”

Alex shivers, snakes are not her thing either. She exits the elevator to Kara’s floor, shuffling the pizza in her hands. She pauses in front of Kara’s door, eyeing the giant bouquet of wild flowers with suspicion. Crouching down, she places the pizza boxes on the ground and reads the card.

“What did Mon-El do now?”

“How did you know? I mean…what?”

“There are flowers in front of your door.”

“…Flowers?”

“Yup. So, how much do I have to kick his ass?”

Kara grumbles unintelligible in the phone.

“That bad huh?” Alex sighs, retrieving the spare key from her purse. “Am I going to spend all night hearing you complain about him? If so, I need beer, wait no. Wine. Get me red.”

“Uhhm…I’ll just get a bottle of scotch. And wine.”

“Really?”

Alex shakes her head, lugging the pizza boxes onto the dining room table. She narrows her eyes at the flowers, wondering if she can just trash them before Kara gets home. Alex shakes her head, retrieving them from the hallway and placing them on the counter. She’s a good sister. She’ll let Kara dump them in the trash.

“Okay, I promise I won’t spend all night complaining about him. I’ll be back in like five minutes, just have to drop off Fluffy. I want to hear all about that girl from Noonan’s, Nariah right?”

“How do you—“ Alex rolls her eyes. “Okay, you have to stop eavesdropping.”

“Sorry what was that? Can’t hear you, you’re breaking up!” Kara makes crackling noises before she hangs up.

“Seriously?” Alex says out loud, looking at her phone in disbelief. She tosses it on the table, fingers drumming along the faded wood. Her gaze lands on the apology bouquet. Alex shakes her head. She’ll never understand why Kara puts up with his childish antics.

But, Alex will be a good supportive sister. Kara will get over her bad boy phase, hopefully soon. Alex takes the card out, scoffing as she reads out loud.

“Another strike on me. I love you. This will help. Yours always, Mon-El.” Alex makes gagging noises. Flicking the card across the counter, Alex lightly brushes her fingertips along the flower petals. They’re stranger, doesn’t seem to be the normal arrangement one finds in a grocery store. Maybe he really did make an effort. Alex scoffs. If only he’d make more of an effort at being less of a douche so he wouldn’t have to make these meaningless gestures.  

“What the fu—“ Alex takes a step back, the flowers glowing red before they emit an odor and mist, covering Alex from head to toe. Stumbling, she sends the flowers crashing to the ground. Alex tries to hold herself up on the table, eyes blurring, her fingernails digging into the wood towards her phone. She never reaches it. Alex drops straight to the ground, the brunt of impact on her shoulder.

Alex’s vision tinges red, her veins shimmering through her skin before she blacks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how explicit I'm going to make this yet. So I'm covering all my bases with the tags. 
> 
> Also might be doing this episodic style again. Stay tuned for the next cliffhanger.


	2. Act 1

 

Kara lands in her apartment in one graceful swoop, juggling Alex’s bribes in her arms. She takes a glass bottle out of the paper bag, brandishing it outwards.

“Okay, so I got you Canadian Whiskey. And no it’s not a bribe…” Kara nervously picks at the label. “Okay maybe it is but hear me out first—“

The bottle slips, shattering on the ground.

“Alex!” Kara super speeds next to Alex, her hands hovering over her body. “Alex?” She uses her x-ray vision, relieved Alex’s heart is still beating and she’s still breathing. Kara immediately surveys around her apartment, no intruder in sight and nothing else is askew. She gathers Alex in her arms, noting the shallow uneven breaths Alex takes.

She flies as fast as she can with a human in her arms straight to the DEO. Landing with a solid thud, Kara super speeds into the Med Bay, laying Alex down on an empty bed.

“I need help!” she cries out.

“Supergirl?” Dr. Chakrabarti frowns, immediately going to Alex’s side and checking her. “What happened?”

“I…I don’t know, I found her…she was unconscious. On the ground.”

“No response,” he says, checking the dilation of Alex’s pupils with his penlight.

“What’s wrong with her?” Kara asks, stepping too close to him.

“I don’t know yet.” He brushes past her, signaling for the nurses. He bumps into her when he turns around. “Okay, no, I need to do my job and you need to let me.”

“But—“

J’onn appears by her side, holding onto her elbow and guiding her out of the room while the medical gets to work. “What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Kara slaps her forehead. “She was…we were going to have sister night and…she was fine on the phone.”

“Walk me through it.”

“I…I came back and found her on the ground, she wasn’t responding but she was breathing and I just…” Kara swallows thickly.

“Was it an attack?”

“No one else was there…”

“I’ll send in a team, see what they can find.”

Kara nods, completely focused on Alex. She doesn’t even seem to notice J’onn giving her a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder before he goes off to find out whatever he can to help.

She only moves when Dr. Chakrabarti comes back out, his eyebrows furrowed.

“How is she?”

“Stable, her vitals are fine, her body responds to stimuli.” He rubs at his beard. “I’m going to have her get a full body scan and CT scans. The lab will have her prelim blood results soon.”

“You don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

“Not yet.”

Kara huffs, her fingers twitching. “Okay…okay. Can I see her?”

Dr. Chakrabarti mulls it over, shaking his head. “We don’t know anything about her condition yet, if it’s contagious, if it’s widespread already. It’s better to keep her isolated.”

It’s completely the opposite of what Kara needs, but she concedes, letting him do his job. Kara’s glad for the lack of privacy in the DEO now. She places her hands over the glass, fingers curling. She swallows down the feeling of uselessness and strides over to the control room. She can do something there, maybe find a few people to punch to get some intel. She nods numbly at J’onn and crosses her arms over her chest, observing the room.

“Supergirl,” Vasquez says with a small nod. “I was just about to get you.”

“You found something?”

Vasquez pulls up a series of graphs on her computer. “Maybe, we’re still going to need to verify but there was radioactive signature in the vicinity.” She pulls up the pictures the agents had taken of her apartment and points to the withered and blackened flowers on the ground. “It was the strongest there.”

“Did Alex bring those flowers?” J’onn asks her.

Kara shakes her head. “I don’t think…wait. Mon-El!”

“Mon-El?” J’onn asks, his eyes narrowing. “What did he do?”

“Alex said those flowers were from him. What if they weren’t?”

“Ask him.”

Kara pulls her phone out, frowning at the barrage of missed calls and texts, all from Mon-El. Instead of replying to any of them, she calls him right away.

“Hey! Where’ve you been? I’ve been call—“

She cuts him off. “Are you okay?”

“Yea? Are you? How are you feeling? Did you get the flowers?”

Kara covers the microphone. “He bought them.”

“Tell him to come over here right now,” J’onn says brusquely. “He can tell us more about these, or if he has any symptoms.”

“I need you to get to the DEO right now,” Kara says to Mon-El.

“Aww babe, how about you come over instead?”

Kara resists crushing the phone in her hands. “No, you don’t—“ she groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just get over here right now okay?”

“Alrighty! I’ll see –“

She hangs up on him.

“What?” she says, noticing the curious looks.

“I’ll just give these results to Dr. Chakrabarti,” Vasquez says, excusing herself.

Kara taps her foot on the ground, making a small chip in the floor. It’s taking Mon-El too long to get here, she’s tempted to fly out there, grab him and bring him. J’onn, noticing her fidgeting, squeezes her shoulder and gives her a reassuring smile.

“She’s going to be okay.”

“Yea…” Kara says, desperately wanting to believe that. “We just need to figure out what happened, get Alex the antidote and we’ll all be fine.”

“Simple as that.”

“Yea…” She starts pacing back and forth, biting her nails, one ear trained on Alex’s steady heartbeat and the other ear listening for Mon-El’s arrival.

After thirty tense minutes, where Kara scuffs the ground so much J’onn’s going to have to pay extra for the cleaning crew and almost destroying a keyboard, Mon-El finally arrives with a giant grin on his face.

“Kara!”

“Are you okay?” she immediately asks, scanning him for any injuries.

“I’m fine.” He swings an arm around her shoulders and pulls her against his chest. “You? How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” Kara gently pries herself away from him but he doesn’t take the hint and instead drags her back in.

“Mon-El,” J’onn brusquely greets.

“Oh, hey J’onn,” Mon-El says as if he just noticed J’onn standing ominously in front of him. “So what’s going on?”

“We need to take you down to medical, now.” J’onn doesn’t wait for Mon-El to acknowledge him, already taking long strides there.

“Uhhh…” Mon-El raises his eyebrows. “Why?”

Kara tugs him until he starts walking. “Alex is hurt.”

“Oh…oh that sucks.”

Biting her tongue, Kara swallows the sudden frustration welling inside her chest. “I found her unconscious in my apartment, we think your flowers might have been contaminated.”

“What?” his footsteps stutter and Kara hears his heart beat in triple time.

“Yea, we need to see if you’re affected too.”

“I feel fine,” he says, puffing up his chest.

J’onn points to the examination table. “Sit.”

“Guys, seriously, I’m fine, I’m a Daxamite remember? Whatever it was probably doesn’t even affect me.”

“We still need to be sure,” Kara says, giving him a concerned look.

He finally concedes, letting them attach electrodes to him and draw his blood. After over an hour of rigorous testing, they give him the all clear.

“See, I told you I was fine!”

“Hold on.” J’onn holds a hand up and motions for Vasquez to come in with a metal wand in her hand.

She brandishes it over his body, frowning when it reaches his hands.

“What?” he asks, noticing the tenseness in her shoulders. “Something happen? What’d you find?”

Vasquez steps back, throwing a look to Kara and J’onn. “Fragments of radioactive decay signature on his hands.”

Mon-El chuckles but the tense glares he receives shuts him right up. “Uhh…what does that mean?”

“Where’d you get the flowers?” J’onn asks, hands on his hips.

“Oh! That…some guy I knew?”

“Mon-El,” Kara says, exasperated.

“I don’t know!” he throws his hands up in the air. “I don’t question every single person I meet at the bar.”

“You met him at the alien bar?” J’onn hones in. “Is he an alien?”

“Probably. He had blue hands, so…I’m guessing yes.”

J’onn turns to Vasquez. “Have Agent Danvers’s team assist Dr. Chakrabarti, run everything through the database.”

“Yes sir.” Vasquez disappears, following his orders.

“We need everything you know about the alien who gave you those flowers,” J’onn says in a tone that brokers no argument.

Mon-El opens his mouth as if he wants to debate that point but one swift glare from both Kara and J’onn and his mouth clicks shut. “Okay.”

\---

“You found him?” Mon-El asks, surprise evident in his voice. He coughs and nods solemnly. “I mean, you found him!”

“With what little information you could remember,” Winn mumbles, pulling up the registration files. “Meet Zaplai of the planet Flosridie.”

“Wait, I’ve been there before,” Kara recalls. “They had the most beautiful vegetation there. They can literally talk to plants.”

“He owns a flower shop down on Canyon and Brushwood,” Winn says.

“I don’t understand, Flosridiens are peaceful.”

“We’ll bring him in for questioning,” J’onn says. “What kind of flowers did you ask for?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary! Just…apology flowers!” Mon-El says.

Winn hums, giving out the coordinates to the flower shop to J’onn. “Maybe some alien flowers react badly to humans?”

“Yes, that.” Mon-El snaps his fingers. “I did say I was giving flowers to Supergirl, I didn’t think Alex would get to them first. Why was she in your apartment in the first place? If she didn’t pick them up she wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

Kara gives him an incredulous look. “Are you…are you blaming _Alex_? She was coming over for sister night.”

“On another note,” J’onn butts in, glaring at Mon-El. “Why would you tell a stranger you were getting flowers for Supergirl?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You can’t keep telling people you’re dating Supergirl!” Kara hisses.

“Why not?” Mon-El fires back, leaning into her space. “Why don’t you want people to know I’m dating you?”

“Seriously?” Kara rubs at her forehead. “It’s called a secret identity for a reason! If people start connecting the dots that Kara Danvers is dating the same guy who’s claiming to date Supergirl –“

“See, I never got that secret identity thing anyways. You don’t work at CatCo anymore! You’re Supergirl full time now, so what does it matter if people find out?”

“Enough!” J’onn pushes them apart. “You are not having a squabble at work, keep your private lives private. Do I make myself clear?”

Kara sucks in a breath, nodding. “Sorry.”

Mon-El shrugs, not looking the least bit repentant.

“Now, we need to get Zaplai in for questioning.” J’onn motions at Vasquez across the room. “Get Trap Two prepped, I want them off the ground in ten minutes.”

“Yes sir.”

“I can just get him now,” Kara says, arms crossed over her chest.

“No, you have to wait, do recon. We don’t know what else he has and if it could affect Kryptonians.”

“But—“

“Kara,” J’onn says, his face softening. “I know the need to fix this right now, but we need to be smart. We can’t have you out of commission too, who else is going to save Alex?”

Kara takes a second and nods. “Okay, but I’m going to do a flyby right now, let me know when the teams are ready.”

“I’m going with you,” Mon-El interrupts.

“What? No.” Kara frowns, bringing him with her will only slow her down at this point.

“No, what J’onn said is right, what if something can affect Kryptonians? You need back up.”

J’onn scoffs. “That’s what the Trap Two is for.”

“Come on, I’m better back up!” He turns to Kara. “Come on, you’re going to need all the help if this guy is dangerous.”

“Okay, fine.” Kara concedes, not having the energy for another argument and needed to get to Zaplai as soon as possible.

He gleefully holds her waist, directing her to the balcony.

Kara hugs him close and shoots off into the sky, faster than he’s used to and clings onto her.

\---

Hovering in the air while Mon-El sweeps the ground, Kara uses her x-ray vision on the small shop. She sees Zaplai watering his plants, talking softly to them and encouraging their growth. He doesn’t look like an evil mastermind hell-bent on taking down Supergirl and humankind.

“I’ve got him, he’s in the backroom. No one else is here.”

“Good, Trap Two is on their way, ETA 1 minute,” J’onn says into her comms.

Back at the DEO, Winn analyzes the satellite readings, pulling up all the radioactivity he can find around the area. He gasps.

“Oh no no no…I think I found the source of the radiation!”

Vasquez rolls her chair over to his and J’onn nods at him to continue.

“Red Kryptonite,” he breathes out.

“Shit,” J’onn curses and leans heavily on the table. “Supergirl, you can’t go in there.”

“What? Why not?”

“There’s Red Kryptonite.”

Kara grits her teeth, watching the SUVs park and Trap Two agents spring out, fanning around the building.

“Kryptonite doesn’t affect me,” Mon-El says, already running into the front door. “I’ll take care of this!”

“Mon-El stop!” J’onn and Kara both yell out.

Too late. He’s already kicked the front door down, alerting Zaplai to an intrusion and Trap Two rushes to fix his blunder, their tactical advantage blown. Kara hovers tensely in the sky, watching the action go down. Her eyes narrow, watching Zaplai greet Mon-El before he gets thrown into a wall.

“Mon-El stop it!” Kara yells out, flying towards the building before she stops herself in midair. She can’t go in there, not without the risk of infection. “Rao, you’re going to kill him!”

J’onn grunts, finally getting video of the action when Trap Two bursts in. Mon-El has Zaplai by the throat. Zaplai tries to pry Mon-El’s fingers away but he only squeezes tighter until Zaplai goes limp and Mon-El shoves him against the wall.

“He’s down,” Mon-El says to the team.

“What the hell?” Trap Two leader, Agent Lin, a small but highly deadly Chinese woman glares at Mon-El. She kneels down, checking Zaplai’s pulse. “Alive.”

“Thank God,” J’onn says, rubbing at his head. “Get him out of there.”

Agent Lin signals for the team to get a stretcher, not wanting to aggravate his wounds even more. Mon-El walks out of the building, taking the comms out of his ear and tossing it to the side.

“What the hell was that?” Kara asks, landing in front of him. “You were supposed to wait!”

“For what? I had him, look!”

“You almost killed him!”

“I misjudged my strength, my bad.”

Kara wrings her hands in the air and paces to get rid of some of the anger. It doesn’t work. She spins around and pokes him hard in the chest. “You could have killed the only person who could help Alex!”

“He’s the reason Alex is hurt! I was just—“

“No, you were just not!”

He changes tactics, pouting at her and sticking his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry, I got emotional. Alex is like this because of me. I wanted to make it better…I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

Kara shakes her head, turning away from him and stomping off. She almost takes a step into the flower shop but remembers the Red Kryptonite. She can’t get close.

“Kara?” Mon-El tugs at her arm. “We should go back, let them do their job.”

“Oh now you want them to do their job?” Kara fires back.

Mon-El bites his lip, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry okay? It won’t happen again.”

Trap Two takes Zaplai and the evidence with them back to the DEO, Kara making Mon-El ride with them while she flies across the city, relieving herself of some of the anger and stress. She comes back into the DEO control room, seeing Mon-El get a thorough dressing down from J’onn.

“You are not going back out there, ever again,” J’onn says, towering over Mon-El.

“Fine, whatever. I never wanted to do it anyways.” Mon-El shrugs. He spots Kara and his body language changes significantly. “I’m sorry J’onn, I was just worried okay? I promise I won’t go off on my own like that again.”

J’onn’s eyebrows furrow, confused until he spots Kara. He shakes his head, giving up entirely on him.

“Supergirl,” J’onn greets.

“Did they find anything? Has he said anything?”

“Not yet, Zaplai is still unconscious,” J’onn says, glaring over at Mon-El. “We’re combing through the building.”

“Do you think it has anything to do with Maxwell Lord?”

J’onn lets out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know, he seemed to have learned his lesson the last time. But creating synthetic Kryptonite, well a lot of scientists can do that if they have the right tools and knowledge.”

“Great, so basically anyone could have made it.”

“Hey at least we know what hit Alex,” Winn says, smiling slightly. He nudges Kara’s arm. “Dr. Chakrabarti says he put Alex on anti-radiation drugs, so yay us.”

“Is she…?” Kara looks up hopefully.

“She’s woken up a few times, been asking for you,” Winn says. “Go.”

Kara speeds away, her cape smacking him straight in the face.

“Ow,” Winn says, rubbing his watery eyes. His gaze lands to Trap Two coming back, boxes of evidence in their hands. He frowns, seeing a familiar lead lined box in one of their hands.

“You okay?” Mon-El asks, stepping in front of him.

“Huh? Yea, sure, just stings.”

Winn can’t see the agents anymore, and shakes his head. His eyes were probably playing tricks on him.

\---

“Alex,” Kara says breathily, hovering by the doorway.

“Hey.” Alex waves weakly.

Kara looks ready to step in but stops herself. “Is uhm…am I okay to come in?”

Dr. Chakrabarti nods, tapping at the neon yellow IV bag on the pole. “Don’t worry Supergirl, we don’t detect any Red Kryptonite radiation in or around her.”

“Good, good.” Kara holds onto Alex’s clammy hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

“How are you feeling? Do you need more pillows?” Kara looks ready to spring up and grab them but Alex squeezes her hand.

“Nah, I’m feeling alright. But I am craving some pizza.” She narrows her eyes when Dr. Chakrabarti makes the IV drip faster. “Hey, that’s a bit much don’t you think?”

“Stop backseat doctoring Dr. Danvers,” he sing-songs.

“Come on,” Alex whines.

Kara raises her eyebrows, shooting Dr. Chakrabarti an amused look.

“It’s the Elixir,” he explains.

“EL-16,” Alex corrects.

“Nope, Elixir, that’s what we’re calling it and you can’t do anything about it.”

“I made it, I named it, you can’t just call it whatever you want.”

“But Elixir has such a nice ring to it, doesn’t it Supergirl?” He grins widely at her.

“He’s right,” Kara says, nodding sagely.

“Traitor.”

“Alright, after this IV is done, you can go on your merry way and get out of my beard,” he says with a playful glare.

“Wait, she’s not staying?” Kara asks.

“Nope,” Alex grins.

“Against my very important wishes, she has decided she’s a much better doctor than myself and has signed herself out.”

“Alex!”

“What? I’m fine! All they’ll do is just ‘observe’ me anyways, and I’d rather be in my own comfy large bed.”

“Why don’t you try convincing her to stay?” Dr. Chakrabarti asks. “I heard that your pout should be classified as a deadly weapon.”

“Alex…” Kara readies her pout.

“Oh no.” Alex reaches out and covers Kara’s face. She glares at him but the full Alex Danvers glare is a bit hampered by the drugs in her system. “Ravi I will burn your beard off!”

“Not again!” he covers half his face with his hands.

“Wait again?” Kara bats Alex’s hands away. “What do you mean again?”

Ravi shoots Alex an amused look while Alex sheepishly hides her grin. He opens his mouth to tell her the tale but Alex shushes him.

“No, not happening.”

Shrugging, Ravi strokes his beard. “Sorry Supergirl, but this is all I have going for me.” He pats Alex’s forearm. “You know the drill, call me if anything is wrong.”

“I know.” She brushes the back of her hand against his. “Thank you.”

\---

Standing in front of the containment cell, Mon-El stares at Zaplai taking ragged breaths, his neck bruised and his head bandaged. His hands twitch, looking over at the panel controlling the doors. Taking one step closer to the glass he gulps, lifting his hand to the panel.

“What are you doing here?”

Mon-El whirls around, pasting a charming smile on. “Winn!”

Winn frowns. “Mon-El, what are you doing here?”

“Sorry, I just wanted to see if he was awake yet…ask him about why he had Red Kryptonite and why he would contaminate my flowers.”

“Yea…we’re all waiting for that,” Winn says.

They stare at each other until Mon-El shoves his hands into his pockets.

“Well, let me know when he wakes up?”

“Sure.”

Mon-El claps his hands over Winn’s shoulder and walks out of there. Winn waits until he hears the door shut before he looks over at Zaplai, still unconscious. Winn rubs at his own neck, mirroring the bruises along Zaplai’s throat. He shakes his head, walking back to the control room.

\---

“I’m staying over,” Kara says resolutely, carefully placing Alex down on her feet after carrying her bridal style all the way from the DEO.

“Kara, I’m fine,” Alex says, waving her hands. “Just tired and sore. I’ll probably just be sleeping all night.”

“And this week,” Kara corrects. “You’re grounded.”

“Okay first of all, I’m not grounded. I’m just on medical leave.”

“Uh huh, okay.”

Alex huffs while Kara fluffs up her pillows and peels back the covers. She motions for Alex to get into bed but Alex shakes her head.

“I need a shower.”

“Oh, I can—“

“You’re not helping me shower.”

“I wasn’t going to…do that.” Kara pulls at the end of her cape.

“Kara…” Alex hugs Kara tightly, smoothing her hands along Kara’s back. “I’m okay.”

Kara’s arms lay limp on her sides. “It should’ve been me…”

“No, Kara no.” Alex pulls back to touch Kara’s face. “No. Never you.”

“It’s my fault you were—“

“It’s not your fault your stupid boyfriend announced to the entire alien population he was dating Supergirl. It’s not your fault for the Red Kryptonite.”

“But—“

“It’s not your fault.” Alex rubs her thumbs along Kara’s cheekbones. “Sometimes these things happen. I’m glad…it was me.”

“What?” Kara frowns. “Why would you—“

“I don’t think National City is ready for another round of Red Kryptonite Supergirl.”

Kara’s infamous crinkle forms along her forehead. She knows that’s true but still, Alex was hurt because of her association with her, something she feared would happen if word got out Supergirl is Kara Danvers.

“I know…” she simply says instead. “But I hate it when you get hurt.”

“Mmhmm, me too.”

Kara tilts her head. “You hate getting hurt or you hate me getting hurt?”

Alex hums, flicking Kara’s forehead and steps back with a giggle.

“Hey!” Kara rubs at her forehead despite barely feeling it. “That was mean!”

“Uh huh, but really, I’m fine Kara, go home.”

Kara shakes her head. “I don’t…can I stay here tonight?”

Alex blinks hard, getting some of the glassiness out of her eyes from the effects of Elixir. Kara nervously toes the floor, almost unraveling a section of carpet.

“Of course,” Alex says. “I still demand pizza though.”

“No problem, I’ll get some!” Kara grins, taking off into the night.

After Kara leaves, Alex’s smile drops. She rubs at her neck and sits heavily on her bed. Hugging herself, Alex closes her eyes, her body shuddering. Her veins feel like there’s a fire running through them. She scratches at her own skin, distracting herself for a moment from the pain. She glances over at the alcohol cupboard and shakes her head, slipping into bed instead. A full night’s sleep should make her feel better.

Falling asleep, Alex kicks her legs out, moaning gently. No one is there to see the fine red vapor coming out of Alex’s skin, dissipating in the air.


	3. Act 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the comments guys! i love reading your hate for mayo :D

Alex mumbles, slowly waking up and burrowing further into her bed. The ache from last night is gone, filled with a gentle comfortable haze instead. Elixir is surely working its way through her body. Alex cracks open her eyes, groaning at the bright sunny lights through her open windows.

“Kara…” Alex groans, slipping her head under her blanket and slinging an arm over Kara’s stomach. “You left the curtains open!”

Kara hums, her arm winding itself around Alex’s shoulders and lightly rubbing at the skin there. “Sorry.”

Getting lulled back into sleep from Kara’s heartbeat, Alex jolts awake at Kara’s alarm blaring on the nightstand. Alex rolls over three times to get to the edge of her bed and flings the phone at Kara.

“Ow!” Kara yelps, rubbing her face and shutting the alarm off.

Alex flops back down on the bed, grunting. Kara makes her way over, nudging Alex’s hip.

“Do you have to go to work?” Alex asks, doing a full body stretch.

“Soon.”

“Mmk…” Alex settles down on her pillow and shuts her eyes.

Kara narrows her eyes suspiciously. “Okay?”

“Mmhmm.”

“You’re going to stay in bed?”

“Yup.”

“So I’m not going to find you sneaking into the DEO in a few hours right?” Kara pokes Alex’s shin with her toes.

“Nope.”

“Huh.” Kara slips out of bed, glancing at Alex who’s now hugging her pillow. “You’re sure?”

“Comfy bed.”

“Wow. If I’d had known Elixir would make you into a sleepy koala…”

“Go to work Kara,” Alex mumbles.

“Supergirl doesn’t keep regular hours.” Kara sits at the edge of the bed, lightly carding her fingers through Alex’s hair. “How’re you feeling?”

“Tired. But okay.” Alex cracks open an eye. “I’m fine Kara.”

“Are you sure?” Kara bites her lip. “You’re not just saying that?”

“I swear, I am filling just fine, sore and tired but fine.”

Kara doesn’t have much of a choice but to take that at face value, for now. She kisses Alex’s forehead. “Call me. I’ll bring some soup and noodles for lunch.”

“You don’t have to—“

“I want to.”

Alex grumbles but nods. “Okay okay, don’t be late then or else J’onn’s not going to let you have that long lunch.”

“As if he could resist the pout.”

Kara kisses her forehead once more before breezing through her morning routine, picking an outfit that she routinely stashes at Alex’s apartment.

“Okay I’ll bring Fong’s back!”

“Kay.”

Alex lays in bed after Kara leaves. She does feel fine, if a little warm. That’s not uncommon from Kara’s body radiating heat, but Kara’s not here anymore and it’s still hot. Alex kicks off the covers, moaning at the slight breeze gliding across her skin. She rubs at her forearms, hissing at the sensitivity. Alex slowly massages out the knots in her muscles, going up her arms to her neck. She hums, digging her thumbs into the cords of her neck.

Her phone dings.

Reaching over, Alex takes her phone and reads her newest text message, assuming it would be Kara. It’s Maggie.

 **[Maggie S.]** \- **Got a few questions about a case last night, you free now?**

Alex mulls it over, pursing her lips and twisting them to the side in thought. She _could_ leave now and get back before Kara ever knows. Plus she’s bored and technically she’s not working.

**[Alex D.] - Sure. The Bar?**

**[Maggie S.] – Yup. Meet in an hr?**

**[Alex D.] – See you in an hour.**

Alex rolls out of bed, cracking her neck and stretching her arms over her head. She opens her closet, fingers gliding over the material of all her shirts. She moans, feeling the silk and rough cotton. Alex decides on the silk, it feels nice against her overheated skin. Strange. She’s never really cared much for clothes texture before.

\---

“Did he wake up yet?” Kara asks right after she finds J’onn and Winn at the control room.

“Not yet,” Winn answers, spinning in his chair.

Kara huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. She needed to interrogate him yesterday. Her eyes stray to a form next to Winn and she startles.

“Mon-El?” Kara shakes his shoulders.

“Whazz...it!” Mon-El springs up, hands up in boxing position. He blinks hard, seeing Kara and lowering his hands. “Oh hey Kara.”

“Were you here all night?”

“He was,” J’onn says.

“Oh…” Kara’s eyebrows furrow together. “Why…why were you here all night?”

Mon-El rubs the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. “I wanted to be here.” He holds onto her hand and squeezes. “It’s because of those flowers I bought that Alex got hurt…” He looks downcast. “I wanted to help.”

Kara smiles. “Thank you Mon-El.”

Mon-El grins back but yawns loudly.

“Come on,” Kara says, pulling his arm. “You need to rest.”

“But—“

“You won’t do anyone any good dead on your feet.”

He yawns again, stumbling after her. “You’re right. Hey uh…did you see the flowers? I mean other than them being…y’know infected, they were pretty.” He gives her a hopeful look.

“Oh…I didn’t.” Kara smiles apologetically. At his disappointed look she says, “But Alex said they were beautiful.” She did not say that but white lies are appropriate. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

He grins boyishly, holding onto her hand. She leads them to the resting area, pointing to the cot.

“Get some sleep,” she says, grabbing the blanket and flinging it over him.

“Hey wait,” he grabs her arm. “You should rest with me.”

“I slept last night.”

“I know, but…we don’t get to spend much time together anymore.” He pouts at her.

Kara frowns. She’s spent more time with him than Alex, last night was going to be one of their first sister nights in forever and well…that turned out to be a complete disaster.

When she takes too long to answer him, he pulls his hand back and shrugs. “I mean, it’s okay. If you don’t want to. It’s fine, you have better things to do I think. Saving the world and all.”

Kara releases a frustrated breath of air through her nose. Ready to give in for a few minutes until he’s asleep, Kara sighs. Before she sits on the cot, her phone blares.

It’s J’onn.

“Sorry,” Kara mumbles, turning away from his dejected look.

She’s got work to do.

\---

“Hey Maggie!” Alex greets, pulling Maggie in for a hug.

“Hey Danvers,” Maggie tentatively slides her hands over Alex’s back. “You okay there?”

“Yup!” Alex bounces on her toes and sits in the booth, her leg bouncing. “So, what’s up?”

Maggie blinks hard, shaken by the image of a much too hyper Alex Danvers. She clears her throat. “Right, well, I have a missing alien, was wondering if you knew anything about that.”

“Ohhhh…missing alien? Who? What species? When?”

Maggie narrows her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Never better.”

“Did you eat a plate of sticky buns or something? Don’t tell me you tried that new unicorn frap, that’s like a cup of sugar.”

“I have not, but it sounds delicious, I should get that. Do you think they’ll taste like real unicorns? Do unicorns exist? We should definitely look into that!”

“No, I don’t think…” Maggie purses her lips. “Maybe we should get back to the case?”

“Case! Missing alien, right right. Well, what do you need help with? Oh! Do you need to track him down? I can do that!” Alex grins brightly, drumming her fingers on the tabletop.

“Actually no.” Maggie pulls out her files and slides it over to Alex. “His name is Zaplai. Owns a flower shop. It got smashed up some time last night and no one’s seen him since.”

“That sounds oddly familiar,” Alex says, staring intently at his picture.

“Does it?” Maggie crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow. “The security cams were all wiped clean, his shop is cleaned out. Sounds like a few pros.” She leans on the table. “But you guys did miss a camera, traffic cams. Got two black SUV vans going to and from there.”

“That sounds like a black ops—“ Alex blinks. “Wait…you’re thinking DEO?”

“You tell me.”

Alex runs a hand through her hair, tugging at it lightly and grinning at the slight pain. “Can’t tell you about any ops last night, was kinda out of it.”

“Out of it?”

“Mmhmm…” Alex licks her teeth and holds her face with her hands. “Yup, just some radiation poisoning. Don’t worry, all fine now.”

“Wait…” Maggie holds her hands up. “You got radiation poisoning last night? Are you…is that why you’re so…should you be out right now? Oh God, did you break yourself out? Is Supergirl going to come in here and drag you out?”

Alex piffles. “Just a little bit! Don’t worry! And I got the all clear to leave by the doctor thank you very much.” She purses her lips. “But Kara might not like that I’m up and about…” She dramatically pushes a finger to her own lips. “Don’t tell her!”

“You signed yourself out didn’t you?”

“What? Nooooo…” Alex sulks. “How’d you know?”

“I’m a detective—“

“You detect, got it. Cool.”

Maggie reaches out, squeezing Alex’s forearm. “Should you be out though? How the hell are you okay after radiation poisoning?”

“Elixir,” Alex says and frowns. “I mean EL…you know what. Fine, whatever, damn you Ravi you win! Elixir it is.”

“Elixir?”

“Regenerative drug. Makes healing super duper fast.” Alex proudly points to herself. “I made it. Me. Patented by Dr. Alex Danvers.”

“Man you guys get the best toys.” Maggie grouses. “When are we common folk going to get such a drug? Half a day from radiation poisoning and you’re okay?”

“God it takes _forever_ to get FDA approved. We still have to do clinical trials and stuff,” Alex grumbles. “Maybe in a few years, hopefully.”

“Alright, good to know you’re not going to die on me then…so you don’t know anything about an alien last night?”

“Oh! I do but that’s cause he whammied me with radiation. Hidden in the flowers.” Alex’s face darkens. “Red Kryptonite, he was after Kara.”

Maggie chews her lip and shakes her head.

Alex tilts her head to the side. “You think we have the wrong guy.”

“Zaplai’s not like that. His entire species is peaceful, all he wants to do is cultivate his plants…help his family move here.” Maggie shakes her head. “He doesn’t have a grudge against Supergirl…what did he say?”

Alex shrugs. “No idea. I wasn’t there for all of it. Just snippets from what everyone’s told me. I’m not allowed back for a week.” She pouts.

“Okay, just…give him the benefit of the doubt. For me? He’s a good guy, I really don’t think he would do anything to hurt Supergirl.”

Alex thinks about it and nods sharply. “Alright…alright I’ll let them know. If he’s not the guy then we definitely need to find the right guy.”

“Thanks Danvers.”

“Hey! Did you hear about that unicorn frappucino?” Alex grins widely. “Do you think it tastes like unicorns? What do you think a unicorn tastes like? Wanna get some?”

Maggie’s eyebrows shoot up. “Okay, I’m thinking you should be on bedrest with Elixir. Wow.”

Alex jumps up, eagerly pulling Maggie up too. “Come on, let’s get some unicorn blood!”

“I have to get back to the precinct,” Maggie says.

“Aww…okay, I’ll get some then. Maybe Kara wants some…”

“Oh no you’re not, I’m taking you back home.”

“But you have work! No. You have detecting to do, I can’t detect right now so you have to detect.”

“Alex…” Maggie pulls her out of the bar. “I’m taking you home, your sister would literally punt me into the sun if she knew I left you alone stoned.”

“Hey!” Alex grumbles and lets Maggie push her into her car. “I am _not_ stoned.”

“Glad to know you think she would punt me into the sun.”

“She wouldn’t…maybe to the moon!”

Maggie shakes her head. She grins evilly, sneakily taking out her phone and recording Alex’s stoned ramblings about unicorns.

\---

Kara goes back and forth between Supergirl duties and the DEO, waiting for Zaplai to wake up and working on her article next to Winn. She does a quick proofread before publishing it on her blog. Citizen journalism. Kara shakes her head, it’s come to that to get at least some of the truth out.

“There’s no K in companion,” Winn points out.

“Aw man.” Kara pouts.

J’onn keeps a smile to himself, watching Kara lay her head on her laptop. His cellphone vibrates and he frowns at the ID.

“Now this call better be about your lunch with your sister,” J’onn says.

Kara perks up. “Alex?”

J’onn nods.

_“Nooooo this isn’t about that.”_

J’onn frowns. Alex sounds too…happy. “Okay, well then this better not be about work.”

_“Technically no? But it’s not me! It’s Maggie. She says you have the wrong guy and flower dude is innocent and nice. Totally nice.”_

“Uh huh, and when did you have time to hear from Maggie?”

_“Oh look at that unicorn blood! Got to go J’onn, I’ve got unicorn blood to drink! Remember, wrong guy maybe!_

He blinks rapidly after Alex hangs up. “Unicorn blood?” he mumbles and shakes his head. “Were you listening to that?” he asks Kara.

“Uhh…” Kara guiltily looks away. “Maybe?” She clears her throat. “So Maggie doesn’t think he’s our guy?”

“Detective Sawyer is more entrenched in the alien population than we are.”

“Kinda weird since y’know,” Kara points to herself and him. “We’re the aliens and she’s not.”

“Nevertheless, keep an open mind.”

“Sir, ma’am,” Vasquez appears with her tablet in hand. “Zaplai is awake.”

Kara super speeds into her suit, her hands firmly on her waist in full Supergirl mode. She doesn’t waste any more time, nodding to J’onn and coming with him to the containment cells.

Winn drums his fingers along his computer, watching them walk away. A few minutes later, he excuses himself saying he needs a snack. He goes the opposite direction of the breakroom.

\---

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zaplai hisses, his forked tongue whipping into the air. “I make a lot of flowers!” He moans, rubbing the back of his head. “You can’t keep me here like this! I want a lawyer!”

J’onn leans back in his seat, watching Zaplai mumble into the crook of his arm. “Mr. Zaplai—“

“Just Zaplai, no Mr.”

“Zaplai,” J’onn steadily says. “If you cooperate--“

“I _am_ cooperating!” Zaplai slams his palms on the table. “I don’t understand why I’m here, why I got beat up and why you’re keeping me here!”

“You’re here because you hurt someone,” J’onn says, narrowing his eyes.

Zaplai blinks owlishly. “Hurt? I wouldn’t…who? How? What are you talking about?”

“Your flowers.”

“My flowers do not hurt.”

“Aliens maybe, but how about humans?”

“I have no grudge against humans, I live on their world. I have many clients who are humans.” Zaplai wrings his hands. “Did I…I check every species. I do not…I…”

Kara stands on the other side of the one-way mirror, frowning at the mental struggle Zaplai goes through. J’onn insists that she stay out of interrogation, he can’t have her in there while her emotions cloud her judgment. She disagrees. But stays out, for now.

Zaplai looks too conflicted, constantly mumbling and ignoring J’onn’s insistent questions. Kara believes him. She ignores J’onns orders and enters the interrogation room.

“Supergirl,” J’onn says, giving her a look.

Zaplai’s head snaps up, his jaw hanging so far it hits the table. Kara keeps her face into a neutral mask.

“Supergirl,” he says, after pushing his jaw back up. “What…?”

“You made an arrangement of flowers yesterday; it hurt someone, someone I care about.”

Zaplai’s eyes widen.

“But they were meant to hurt me, weren’t they?” Kara glares at him.

“No!” Zaplai shakes his head. “I would never hurt you! You’re…my son loves you. He wishes to be you for Halloween! My wife is learning how to sew to make the cape and skirt!”

J’onn clears his throat. “Did you know you were making flowers for Supergirl?”

Zaplai frowns. “I don’t…remember much of yesterday.” He rubs at his bruised head. “I make a lot of flowers…”

Kara pulls out her phone, finding a picture of Mon-El and showing it to Zaplai. “Did you make flowers for him?”

Zaplai focuses, tilting his head. “He hit me…”

“Did he buy flowers from you?” Kara asks.

“I think…so…yes…yes! Flowers for Supergirl! Special ones, for his mate!”

Kara flinches. They are not mates. Just what is Mon-El telling people now? First dating, now mates? She shakes her head. “Special ones?”

“Yes, Amore special. Lovers special.” Zaplai’s leg bounces nervously. “They would not…hurt…I do not…maybe…reaction.” His eyes widen. “Bad reaction.”

“What?” J’onn leans forward. “What bad reaction?”

“He asked to put a gemstone in the flower, surprise he said.”

“What gemstone?” Kara asks, voice shaky.

“Ruby. It was a ruby I think.”

“Red Kryptonite,” Kara mumbles.

Zaplai turns his head and shrugs. “I do flowers, not gemstones.”

Kara’s hands grow clammy. She pales considerably and nearly yanks the door off its hinges as she paces around the hallway. J’onn finds her a second later, reaching out and holding her shoulder.

“Kara?”

“He…Mon-El…” Kara sucks in a breath. “Why would he…?”

“I don’t know,” J’onn says. “We need to know…”

“Know what?”

“If he knew what it would do to you.”

Kara’s hands ball into fists. She nods sharply. A large part of her hopes that he didn’t know, that he just found a red gemstone and thought she would like it. Another tiny part of her brain tells her she’s being naïve. She shakes her head. She needs answers right now.

\---

Winn steps through the racks of evidence boxes, looking at his tablet for the right number. He mumbles under his breath, pressing on the buttons of the screen to bring up the box.

“Okay…okay,” he says, tucking the tablet under his arm. He takes a fortifying breath of air. “Just do it…just open it Winn you can do this.”

His hands shake, pressing his thumbprint to the scanner. The box opens revealing…nothing.

“No no no,” Winn mutters, shaking his head. He thrusts his hand inside, hoping the box was somehow invisible. His hands touch nothing but air. Winn shuts the box and thunks his head against it.

“Shit…this is just craptastic.” He shakes his head, putting the box back into the slot. His mind goes on overdrive as he exits the evidence room.

He startles when he gets shoved back inside. “What?!” he squeaks.

“Shhh!” Mon-El puts a hand over his mouth. “It’s me!”

“What’re you doing?!” Winn smacks his hand off of him and backs away.

“What are _you_ doing?”

“I…why are you here?” Winn defensively crosses his arms.

“I was looking for Kara and found you instead.”

Winn narrows his eyes. “No. You were trying to come in here, what are you doing here?”

Mon-El shrugs, giving Winn a suspicious look before dropping that pretense and running a hand through his hair. “Okay, fine. I was trying to fix this okay?”

“You took the Red Kryptonite!” Winn accuses. “How could you?”

“Borrowed! I was going to put it back.”

Winn shakes his head, pacing back and forth. “What the hell were you doing with it?”

“It was nice and I wanted to see—“

“Stop lying!” Winn hisses. He points an accusing finger at Mon-El. “I told you what it would do! I told you everything that happened! You said you wanted to get to know Kara better, not…you took the one thing that would _hurt_ her!”

“Hey hey! You said it wouldn’t hurt her,” Mon-El says accusingly.

“It’s _Kryptonite_. It may not be green but it can hurt her!”

“Well not blue kryptonite, it hurts Bizzare girl.”

“Bizzarro,” Winn corrects. “That’s not the point. Red Kryptonite changes her! She almost killed Cat last time she was on it! She almost killed _Alex!_ ”

Mon-El sucks in a breath and scoffs. “It was just a little bit okay? I thought it would help her.”

Winn looks taken aback. “Help? Help her how? What could it possibly do to help her?”

“She’d been so stressed out and I knew she was holding back—anyways. You said it lowers inhibitions and helps reveal how she really feels, so I thought you know, maybe just a little bit would help her mellow out.”

Winn’s jaw works up and down. He yanks at his own hair. “I can’t believe you! You wanted to drug her? What is wrong with you?”

“Not drug! Just help out, look.” Mon-El shoves his hands in his pockets. “I never meant to hurt Alex. She shouldn’t have gotten the flowers in the first place, it was for Kara. I don’t know why Alex took them.”

“This is _not_ Alex’s fault,” Winn hisses. “You should have never put Red Kryptonite in there in the first place!”

Mon-El looks ready to argue, but seeing the fury on Winn’s face, he drops it. “Okay okay you’re right. But Winn…I didn’t mean to. I just want to make this right, put the kryptonite back and—“

“You can make this right by telling her the truth.”

“No!” Mon-El groans. “No, she’ll never… do you want her to break up with me Winn? I love her. She … she wouldn’t see it like that. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone Winn. I just want to fix this. Please. Let’s just put it back and it’ll be fine.”

“How? How is it going to be fine? You’ll let the florist take the blame?”

“I just need to talk to Zaplai, explain the situation, it’ll just be an honest mistake.” Mon-El shrugs. “I can be very persuasive.”

Winn shakes his head, he can’t believe he’s hearing this. “You—“

“I can’t lose her Winn!” Mon-El shouts, punching out against the wall. It dents under his fist.

Winn steps back, cowering slightly. He steels himself. “Okay…okay I get that.”

Mon-El rubs his fist, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry…I don’t know my strength sometimes…still getting used to it. I didn’t…we’ll fix that right?”

“Sure…yea.”

“So you’ll help me?”

Winn swallows thickly. “Yea…”

“I knew I could count on you!” Mon-El swings his arm over Winn’s shoulder and squeezes. “You’re the best buddy.”

Winn’s hands tremble as Mon-El leads them out in the hallway, talking a mile a minute about what lies he could tell to convince everyone he’s not the culprit. Winn tucks his hands in his pockets, willing them to stop.

\---

“Where is he?” J’onn asks Vasquez as she pulls up the security feeds on her tablet.

“He’s not at the cots anymore sir,” Vasquez says, flipping through the feeds.

“Well if _someone_ didn’t line the building with lead, I would be able to find him,” Kara mumbles.

J’onn shoots her an unimpressed look and glances upwards for strength. He does not need Kara sassing him right now. She shuts her eyes, concentrating on using her super hearing to find him instead.

She finds him a few seconds later, turning the corner to straight to them.

“Winn?” Kara says, opening her eyes to see the pair coming towards them.

Mon-El grips just a bit tighter on Winn’s shoulders. “Hey guys!”

“H-Hey,” Winn says. He tries to remove Mon-El’s arm from his shoulder but he’s not strong enough. Kara glares at Mon-El’s arm and he shrugs before removing it, letting Winn go. “I’ll just uh…”

“Zaplai woke up,” Kara says, narrowing her eyes at Mon-El.

“Oh!” Mon-El nods, pursing his lips. “That’s good, very good. He uh…what’d he say?”

J’onn and Kara share a look before he steps forward. “He said you gave him the Red Kryptonite.”

“What?” Mon-El scoffs. “How would I even get Red Kryptonite?” He looks at Winn who averts his gaze. Mon-El sends a pleading look over to Kara. She doesn’t budge.

“Did you know what it would do?” J’onn asks, barely concealing his fury. “What would have happened? What it had done to her?”

“I…” Mon-El swallows nervously. “It’s Kryptonite, I assume it’ll … I don’t know hurt her?” He shakes his head. “But it wasn’t…I…I didn’t give him Red Kryptonite.”

“He’s lying,” Winn says softly.

“Winn,” Mon-El says, voice low. “Why are you lying?”

“He knew what it would do,” Winn admits quietly. He can’t look at Kara or at J’onn. He stares at the tip of his shoes instead. “I told him…I told him about it.”

Mon-El laughs loudly and snorts. “That’s a good one, alright. That’s funny, so are we going to kill him now or what?” He points his thumb to the containment cell area. “We used to execute traitorous subjects quickly on Daxam.”

At everyone’s look of disbelief, Mon-El sweats and prepares to jump out of there, but Kara’s faster. She yanks him by the back of his shirt and throws him across the room. Bouncing off the wall, Mon-El scrambles to his feet, kicking at Kara’s head when she super speeds over to him.

In her anger, she barely feels the impact, absorbing the hit and grabbing him by the neck. She shoves him against the wall, knocking his head until the cement crumbles around them.

“Can’t…can’t breathe!” Mon-El chokes out, the dust settling across his face.

She drops him like a sack, glaring at him so hard her eyes brighten at the first signs of heat vision.

“Supergirl,” J’onn says softly. “Don’t.”

Mon-El coughs, his body spasming. He tries to stand up on unsteady legs but collapses at every turn. “K-Kara…”

“Stay down,” Kara commands, no trace of sympathy in her voice.

“What’s happening to him?” Winn asks, concerned.

“Lead in the walls,” Kara says with a shake of her head.

“Take him down to medical,” J’onn says to his agents. They whisk him away, leaving Kara staring at the hole in the wall.

“He knew,” Kara mutters, her hands shaking. “He _knew_ what it would do to me.”

“Kara…” Winn says, putting his hand up but letting it drop before he touches her. “I’m sorry.”

“You told him?”

“He…” Winn gulps guiltily. “He said he wanted to know you better…I told him…about Livewire, Silver Banshee, Bizzarro…, Red Kryptonite.”

“What did you say?”

“That…it changed you. Made every dark thought rise up…took away all your inhibitions.”

“I have to go,” Kara says, ignoring the concerned shouts. She blasts off from the balcony, flying as high as she could, hoping the rays of the sun can help the ache in her chest.

\---

Kara can’t face Alex now, so she goes back to her own apartment instead. She should check up on Alex, make sure she’s doing okay. Alex always has a tendency to overexert herself when she’s unwell. Kara can’t do it. She can’t see Alex knowing this is her fault.

She changes into her depression clothes, one of Alex’s old college sweaters and fluffy sweat pants. Kara sits on her couch, staring dejectedly at her hands.

A gentle knock on the door disrupts her dark mood. Kara squints, using her X-ray vision. It’s Alex. She almost debates letting Alex stay outside.

“Come on Kara,” Alex says. “I know you can see me, let me in!”

Kara scrambles over, seeing all the takeout boxes on the ground. “You shouldn’t be up,” Kara says.

“Here,” Alex says, handing over a colorful drink. “Unicorn blood.”

“What?” Kara frowns while Alex puts all the food on the table. She shrugs, taking a sip and her face lights up. “Whoa…”

“Right?” Alex says, sipping at her own drink. “It tastes different when you mix it!”

Kara grins, mixing it with her straw and groaning at the sweet taste of sugar all over her tongue.

“So…I heard what happened,” Alex says, handing over a plate of pot stickers.

Kara guiltily stirs her drink, unable to look at Alex. “I’m sorry…”

“Hey.” Alex bumps Kara’s chin up. “Not your fault.”

“But—“

“Your ex-boyfriend’s stupidity is not your fault.”

“Ex?”

“If you’re not breaking up with him—“

“I am!” Kara huffs. “I just haven’t really said it yet…was too busy bashing his head against the wall.”

“That’s my girl,” Alex giggles.

Kara shakes her head, secretly pleased Alex doesn’t seem to be angry at her.

“Come on, it’s eat your feels time,” Alex says, pushing the giant takeout box of noodles at her.

“You should be in bed!” Kara says. She tugs at Alex’s hand but Alex waves her away.

“I’m fine, someone had to go get some soup and noodles.”

“Oh…” Kara bites her lip. “Crap. I forgot.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Alex slurps her soup and smiles at the taste.

They settle on the couch, eating and watching a cooking show on the TV. The more Kara tries to stop thinking about him, the more her mind wanders to him. She glances at Alex who looks too tired, bags under her eyes. Kara’s fists clench.

He hurt Alex.

Sure, he wanted to…well Kara’s not sure what he was doing with the Red Kryptonite, but nonetheless, Alex was the one who got hit.

“Hey,” Alex says, leaning over and pulling her fists in her lap. She gently runs her fingers along the knuckles until Kara loosens them. “What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know why…” Kara shifts, pushing her forehead against Alex’s shoulder. “Why would he do that?”

Alex hugs her tight, her thumb swiping at Kara’s cheek. “Does it matter?”

“What?”

“He tried to…” Alex stiffens. “He tried to drug you Kara.”

“That’s—“

“He wanted to manipulate your mind, make you susceptible to whatever it was he wanted. He doesn’t deserve your sympathy.”

Kara swallows. “I know…but I still…it still feels like it’s my fault. And I’m just…so _angry_.” She grits her teeth. “I should’ve seen it coming! He’s _always_ been like this! But now? It’s just…he _hurt_ you Alex.”

Alex rubs her hands all over Kara’s back, trying to soothe her. “Hey, I’m okay…”

“I feel so stupid! I thought he would change, I don’t know or he would be a better person than I thought he would be.” Kara groans. “God I feel so stupid.”

“You wanted to believe in him,” Alex says. “Your heart is just…you believe the best in people, he took advantage of that.”

Kara sniffles. “Yea and look what happened? You…”

“He meant to hurt you…” Alex’s grip tightens.

“He got you instead.”

“Yea…” Alex shakes her head. “He’d be dead right now if he got you.”

Kara raises her head, confused. “What?”

“I would’ve killed him. I still might.” Alex shrugs. “Still thinking about that.”

“Alex!”

“He wanted to drug you.” Alex grits her teeth. “And God knows what else…”

“Hey…” It’s Kara’s turn to pull Alex into a hug. “He didn’t.”

Alex sighs dramatically and falls into Kara. “I think it’s time for an angry nap.”

Kara chuckles, leaning down on the couch and pulling the blanket on top of them. “We haven’t had those in a while.”

“And then some angry eating, pizza later?”

“Yes please.”

Alex nods, burrowing her head against Kara’s chest. Kara shuts her eyes, letting the steady rhythm of Alex’s breathing lull her into sleep. She dreams of punching Mon-El’s face over and over and over again. It’s very cathartic.

She only wakes up because Alex squirms and moans against her.

“Alex?” Kara groggily says. Her eyes snap open, seeing Alex’s face screwed up in pain and sweat all over her hairline. “Alex?”

Alex whimpers, gripping Kara’s hands tightly.

“Alex what’s—“ Kara chokes.

A red mist evaporates off Alex’s body but Kara breathes it in. Kara’s body shudders, her head growing heavy. Dropping back down on the couch, Kara’s veins glow red.

Alex shifts in her sleep, pulling away but Kara possessively puts a hand to her waist, pulling her back in and tucking Alex’s head against her shoulder.


	4. Act 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to toppe & 23deecy for those cups of coffee!

Alex grumbles, snuggling against the warmth under her face, trying to get away from the bright light in her eyes. She hears a chuckle and groans, displeased. Her pillow is moving and jostling her. Fingers scratch and massage the tendons in her neck and Alex absolutely melts into it. She hums, momentarily placated by the pleasant tingles spreading from the points of contact.

“That feels good,” Alex mumbles.

“Yea?” Kara digs her thumb into a particularly large knot and Alex hisses.

“Yea.”

Kara uses her free hand to massage Alex’s shoulders, tutting at the obvious strain and tight muscles. Alex hasn’t had a massage in so long and usually the massages are bordering more on pain than relaxing since they’re more about physical therapy. Maybe it’s just Kara’s magical touch but she hasn’t felt this comfortable with someone touching her like this.

Her impromptu massage session gets interrupted by Kara’s phone ringing on the table. It’s the DEO ringtone, must mean Supergirl business. Alex tries to sit up to get the phone but Kara keeps her there, digging further into Alex’s neck.

“Kara,” Alex groans. She clears her throat. “Phone.”

Kara sighs dramatically and lets Alex reach over to grab the phone off the coffee table. Alex dangles the phone in front of Kara’s face but she makes no move to take it. Rolling her eyes affectionately at the grumpy look on Kara’s face, Alex swipes to answer it for her and sets it on speaker.

“ _Hey! What took you so long?_ ” Winn’s voice crackles through the tiny speakers.

“I was sleeping,” Kara pointedly answers, earning her an eyebrow raise from Alex. “What’s up?”

_“Bank robbery at National City National, NCPD are on route.”_

“And they can’t handle it?”

_“Uhh…well they seem to have alien weapons…so no?”_

Kara hums. “Fine.”

Before Winn can give her the coordinates, Kara jabs the end call button and tosses her expensive and highly breakable phone on the ground.

Something itches at the back of Alex’s mind, but Kara’s sitting up behind her and starts massaging her shoulders. Alex lets her head hang down, enjoying her muscles being worked.

Kara’s phone dings with a text message.

Alex blinks hard and shakes her head to clear the fog away from her half-awake brain.

“Kara.”

“I know I know,” Kara mutters. She huffs dramatically and super speeds into her Supergirl uniform. “Can’t the cops handle one little bank robbery?”

Kara leans down, pressing a hard kiss on Alex’s cheek and slides her hand down Alex’s neck. “Alright, time to save National City.”

“Okay,” Alex says, leaning into the touch.

“I’ll be back soon.” Kara smirks, kissing her forehead. “We can continue the massage then, maybe make it a full body.”

Kara turns as she nears the window and winks before she takes off into the sky.

Drumming her fingers along her stomach, Alex runs a hand through her hair and wiggles her body to a tune only she can hear. She purses her lips. It’s just not the same as Kara touching her. Her stomach grumbles. Maybe breakfast is the way to go first.

\---

_“Supergirl, they’re at—“_

“I got them,” Kara cuts Winn off and shuts off her comms. She can do without some back-seat superheroing today. She holds a fist out and uses an extra burst of speed to catch up to the van weaving in and out of National City traffic. She matches the car’s speed and lands on the roof, punching down and ripping the top off. Kara carelessly tosses it aside, the scrap metal smashes through a thankfully empty glass bus stop.

“It’s Supergirl!” says a pasty bald goon.

The driver, wearing an expensive pair of Ray-Bans swerves around, trying to get Kara off the car. She chuckles, burying her fingers in the sides of the car and riding it out like a wave. Alex would be so proud of her form. The van scrapes against a bunch of cars, creating more property damage.

Before she can grow bored, a blue pulse beam shoots from under her and Kara gets blasted into the air. She hovers there, narrowing her eyes, watching the third and final robber with a bandana over his face stick his head out the now open roof of the van and aim at her. Kara grins, twirling in the air as he shoots frantically.

His aim stinks, catching trees and sides of buildings. They round the corner into an empty desolate stretch of the street and gun the engine, as if they their car could outrun her. Kara speeds up, crashing through the engine block, totaling their car. She glances at their bodies, getting through airborne through the windshield and rolls her eyes. She plucks them out of the air and tosses them onto the ground.

Dusting off her hands, Kara takes out the alien weapons from the car and raises her eyebrows. She’s seen these before, they’re Cadmus built weapons.

“Where did you get these?” Kara demands, brandishing the hefty gun.

“Hospital…” says bald goon, clutching at his bleeding head.

“Oh so now you want my help?” Kara picks at her nails.

“Please!” Ray-Ban goon cries out, holding onto his broken elbow.

“Where’d you get these?” Kara asks again, cocking the gun and watching as the blue lights shimmer. “I’m not going to ask again.”

They all stare, horrified at Supergirl leveling a weapon in their faces. Kara points it at Bandana goon. “Well?”

Bandana goon stutters out, “Bought it…”

“From?”

“Some guy, said he stole it from evidence.”

Kara hums, lowering the gun and the goons all collectively sag in relief. She turns to the sirens stopping behind her and at the cops who run towards her, guns drawn.

“These men need medical attention,” she says, waving dismissively at them.

She hauls the guns up with her, taking off into the sky, leaving the injured men bleeding on the pavement.

\---

At Noonan’s, Alex grins with a mouthful of food at Kara’s favorite server, a black woman named Violet as she pours another cup of coffee for Alex. Violet chuckles, seeing Alex’s puffed up cheeks.

“Should I get another round of sticky buns? They’re going to be fresh out of the oven in about 15 mins, takes about another 15 to cool down.”

“Oh no…” Alex wipes at her lips with the napkin. “Uhhm…maybe.”

“Isn’t your girlfriend going to want some?”

“My…?” Alex cocks her head to the side. To her knowledge she has not come to Noonan’s with any of her disastrous dates.

“You’ve got enough food here to feed an army, well maybe a Kara, but that would require another plate of sticky buns.”

“Oh, Kara isn’t coming today.”

Violet hums. “Well it’s true then, couples really do start to match each other. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Alex blinks hard. Did Violet just imply that she and Kara are dating?

“Hey Danvers.”

Alex’s internal shriek gets interrupted by one swaggering Maggie Sawyer. She drops onto the chair in front of Alex and snags a bacon strip.

“Hey that’s mine,” Alex mutters, tugging her plate closer.

“Sorry,” Maggie says, not looking the least apologetic as she munches on the bacon.

Alex shoves another forkful of eggs and pancakes into her mouth. Maggie’s eyebrows shoot up, watching Alex eat at a speed that’s almost super level.

“Uhh…you got somewhere to be?”

“No,” Alex says through her mouthful of food.

“You’re eating kind of fast.”

“Fast?” Alex sips her coffee. “This is nothing.”

“Geez, you’re gonna get an ulcer.”

“I lived with Kara, you either ate fast or nothing at all.”

Maggie chuckles, trying to steal a sausage but her hand gets slapped rather harshly so she retracts it with a pout. “Anyways, thanks.”

“For what?” Alex burps, rubbing at her full stomach.

“Zaplai.”

“Oh that, well…he was innocent,” Alex says with a shrug.

“Yea, but the DEO doesn’t normally redo a flower shop just for anyone.”

“That’s all Kara.”

“I’ll be sure to thank her later.”

Alex hums, rubbing at the back of her neck with a tiny grin. “Yea, she still feels bad for it though.”

“If she wants to make up for some of it, Zaplai wouldn’t mind a certain caped superhero dropping in for his son’s birthday party.”

“Make sure there are two cakes and I’ll make it happen.”

“And loads of pizza I’m assuming.”

Alex hums again, digging her thumb into the knots of her neck. She snaps her head forward, eyes wide and unblinking. “Hey, let’s go clubbing!”

“Uh…” Maggie looks taken aback. “Okay? Sure?”

“Let’s go!” Alex throws down more than enough for her meal and tugs on Maggie’s arm.

“Alex, it’s like barely 11 in the morning,” Maggie says, standing up with her.

Alex deflates with a pout.

“Why the sudden interest?”

“I just want to…move,” Alex says, swaying a bit on her feet.

“Okay,” Maggie says, stretching out the word. She takes Alex’s elbow and leads her out the café. “I think you need some more bedrest.”

“Nooooooo.” Alex stomps her foot like a petulant child. “I’ve slept so much!”

“How about this, you take a nap at home, and tonight, if you’re feeling up to it, we can go clubbing.”

“Lesbian clubbing!”

Maggie chuckles, finding an Uber for Alex. “Yea sure, lesbian clubbing.”

“God I’ve wanted to go!” Alex says, giddily bouncing. “I haven’t done it in so long and I miss it! Well not the ewww guys hitting on me, but it was nice to con drinks out of them but girls can buy drinks for each other right?”

“Yea they can.”

“Cooooooooool.”

Maggie guides them to the Uber car doing a U-turn in the middle of National City traffic. She waves good bye and yelps excitedly about clubbing from the open window.

Guess that regenerative drug still has some kinks to work out.

\---

“Are you going to be able to hold onto these?” Kara asks haughtily, tossing the alien guns on the ground in the middle of the DEO.

“Yes Supergirl,” J’onn says giving her a withering look and signaling for some agents to bring the guns to the evidence locker.

“Right.” Kara rolls her eyes. “Like the Red Kryptonite.”

J’onn purses his lips and crosses his arms defensively over his chest. Winn ducks his head, turning away from them and concentrating on the screen in front of him.

“We’ve  changed our security protocols, no one with unauthorized access can get into any –“

“Yea okay,” Kara says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I’ve heard that before.”

“Supergirl,” J’onn says, stopping her in her haste to go to the balcony.

“What?”

“Mon-El wants to speak with you.”

“Yea, I really don’t care.”

Winn slinks behind J’onn. “He’s been yelling out for you all night.”

“And?”

Winn swallows nervously. “He’s not stopping, he won’t talk to us.”

J’onn grits his teeth, looking pained to say anything. “We’ve recovered the Red Kryptonite in his apartment, obviously some of it is missing, we assume a fragment was placed in the flowers.”

“But you don’t know if that’s all of it,” Kara says, folding her arms over her chest.

“I’m afraid not.”

“And you want me to ask him.”

“If we had any other choice—“

“And you think he’ll actually tell me the truth?”

Winn shuffles nervously. “I think that he will.”

Kara scoffs, giving him a look of disbelief.

“I just…I think he’ll try to get you to forgive him…so maybe he’ll actually help us.”

Kara rolls her eyes and walks off to the containment cells. “Whatever,” she throws over her shoulder.

“We should…” Winn points at her.

J’onn hurries after her and Winn runs to keep up.

Kara spreads her arms out when she enters the containment cells. “Well?”

Mon-El presses his hands up to the glass, smiling widely at her. “Kara!”

“What’d you want to say to me?”

“Kara…I…” he swallows thickly, nervously shuffling his feet and shooting her a boyish repentant look that’s perfected through the decades he’s used it. “I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”

Kara raises her eyebrows, not giving him a verbal response.

He lowers his gaze, pressing his forehead against the glass. “Kara…I just wanted to help you, help us. I love you.”

Winn and J’onn both share a look of disbelief, but choose to remain silent, letting Kara take the reins. She rolls her eyes in annoyance and turns to leave but J’onn shakes his head.

“Mon-El, did you hide any Red Kryptonite anywhere else?”

“I…what?”

“We found it in your apartment—“

“You broke into my apartment?”

“—and recovered it, some was missing, obviously, so is that the last of it?”

He huffs. “Is that all you want from me?”

“Yea,” Kara says with a shrug. “You wouldn’t talk to J’onn or Winn, so here I am. So, was that the last of it?”

“Come on, Kara, please. I know I made a mistake, but you can’t keep me locked in here.”

“I think you’ll find that we can.”

“Kara! Please.” He thumps his fist against the glass. “I’m sorry okay? What I did was wrong, I’m sorry! I just wanted to help you! You’ve been so stressed out lately, you say you’re tired all the time when…well I just wanted to help you.” He licks his dry lips and brings out the big apology. “I never meant to hurt Alex.”

Kara pins him with a look.

Seeing that he has her rapt attention, Mon-El wraps his arms around himself, his eyes welling with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, she wasn’t supposed to get those flowers. I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

Kara breathes out harshly through her nose. “Could you give us a moment?” she asks J’onn and Winn.

J’onn shifts uncomfortably but nods regardless and they stand just outside the containment cells. Kara waits until the door shuts behind them and moves to stand in front of Mon-El’s cell.

“You hurt her.”

“I didn’t mean to! She just…I didn’t think she’d be at your apartment.”

“I told you we were having sister night.”

“I just…I thought you’d get home first!” He swallows his frustration down. “I’m sorry she got hurt.” He just can’t help himself. “This wouldn’t have happened if you were with me.”

Kara stares at him. She slowly reaches over to the panel, opening the cell door.

Mon-El sighs in relief, opening his arms up. “Thank you! I knew you’d—“

Kara super speeds in and grabs his neck, lifting him into the air. “You hurt Alex.”

She tightens her hold, watching him flail.

“You _hurt_ Alex!” She slams him against the wall.

“You hurt the person I care about most.” Her eyes glow, heat vision primed and ready. “I could kill you right now and no one, and I mean _no one_ would even care.”

“K-K…” he scratches at her forearm, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

“Kara!” J’onn yells across the room. He runs as fast as he can in his Hank Henshaw form.

It’s not necessary anyways. Kara drops him to the ground, not even sparing him a glance as she walks out of the cell. J’onn runs in, checking Mon-El who’s rasping and choking for air.

“Kara, what…what the hell?” Winn says, eyes wide as he glances at Kara’s furious look and Mon-El struggling to breathe.

“What I had to do.”

“What you had to…” Winn shakes his head. “Kara you almost killed him.”

“He’s a Daxamite, that was just foreplay to him.”

“Kara? What…you know what never mind, that was…I know what he did was wrong but—“

Kara whirls around, glaring at him. “He hurt Alex, Winn.”

“I know…”

“Do you?” Kara shakes her head. “

“I…” Winn swallows, turning his head away from her accusing gaze.

“Maybe if you actually valued Alex as much as your little bromance crush, this wouldn’t have happened.” She turns on her heel, stomping off.

Winn stares at the ground. He knows she’s right. He glances at Mon-El in his cell with J’onn calling for medical assistance. Winn shakes his head sharply to clear it. He has a job to do. Walking shakily in the hallway, he spots a hole in the wall and traces it.

It’s definitely fist size.

Winn sucks in a breath. Kara punched the wall. Her emotions are all over the place, like she doesn’t have a hold on them and— no. Winn rubs at his neck.

No.

Kara’s emotions are everywhere because her boyfriend tried to drug her, hurt her sister instead and now…

Kara needs some time to process this.

That’s all.

Either way, he does a preliminary scan for any Red Kryptonite in National City, just in case. When he finds no trace of the radioactive signature present he ducks his head, ashamed.

Everything she said, they were true, no matter how much her words cut.

\---

“Ready for that massage?” Kara asks, flying through the open window. She unclips her cape and cracks her knuckles. She frowns when Alex doesn’t answer her and Kara spins around in place. Her apartment is empty. “Alex?”

Kara uses her superhearing but there are no signs of life in her apartment. She grits her teeth and leans against the window sill. Tuning everything out, Kara concentrates on Alex’s sounds, her heartbeat, her voice, her motorcycle.

Glass clinking. The scratch of a pole cue. The clack of pool balls being racked. Feminine laughter.

Kara narrows her eyes.

Alex is entertaining, without her.

She goes to the rack of clothes, sorting through them and tossing them behind her. Too pastel. Argyle? Cardigans? No.

Kara hums. Maybe a trip to the clothing store will have to do.

\---

 M’gann nods and waves to her regulars when she enters the bar. She raises her eyebrows at the pool table. Alex Danvers without Maggie Sawyer or Kara Danvers in sight, instead she’s got two humanoid female aliens next to her. Alex teaches the girls how to play, coaching them on the best form but her hands linger at their hips. M’gann shakes her head. Alex has more game than she previously thought.

She tucks her purse under the bar and nods at Darla who’s cleaning up the tables across the room. Darla swings by the kitchen and brings out another basket of fries and chicken strips to Alex’s table.

Alex giggles as she munches on the fries and misses her shot so badly she sinks the 8 ball instead.

“How much has she had?” M’gann asks, keeping an eye on Alex.

“Nothing,” Darla says, shrugging. “Only ordered food so far. Been like that the whole time she was here, who knows maybe she got some before she came in.”

M’gann hums and checks her watch. It’s barely four in the afternoon.

“Damn,” Darla mumbles.

M’gann looks at Darla and follows her line of sight and also mumbles, “Damn.”

Kara Danvers strolls, all traces of pastel colors missing. Her clothes are exceedingly tight and M’gann’s almost certain that if Kara were to flex her clothes might rip. Her eyes fall to the impressive cleavage on display in her black blouse.

She chuckles when Kara slides right next to Alex, pushing the two other girls out of the way. Alex, as always, focuses her attention on Kara. The girls dejectedly return to their seats at a booth. M’gann hums, Alex really doesn’t know the affect she has on people.

\---

“Hey,” Kara says, holding Alex’s waist and squeezing. “You weren’t home,” Kara chides. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I know I know,” Alex groans. “But I’m fine.”

“And why are you here then?” Kara hums, snagging the food next to Alex and biting it suggestively.

“That’s mine,” Alex says with a slight pout. She shakes her head and pushes the basket of fries closer to Kara. “I’m just killing some time before I meet Maggie.”

At the mention of Maggie’s name, Kara’s eyes grow dark and she chews a bit harder than necessary. “Oh?”

“Yea! She’s gonna take me clubbing!” Alex bounces excitedly. “Lesbian clubbing!”

“Are you sure you should be doing that…with her?”

Alex sighs dramatically and leans her chin on the pool cue. “I am totally over Maggie. Totally. Completely…maybe. Anyways, it’s not like I know that many…well _any_ other lesbian. She’s my friend, my very gay friend who’s going to be gay with me. Well not with me with me, just gaying together.”

Kara doesn’t even smile at Alex’s cute ramblings but Alex doesn’t notice. She’s a bit busy swaying back and forth and humming to a tune in her head.

“Maybe we should leave Sawyer out of the lesbian clubbing,” Kara says, holding firmly onto Alex’s bicep. At Alex’s confused look, Kara smiles reassuringly. “Come on, we haven’t had a sisters night in a while.” Kara tip toes her fingers up to Alex’s shoulder and squeezes. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be there with her when you’re still not 100% over her.”

“You might be right,” Alex says, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as Kara massages her tense muscle.

“Of course I am.”

“Okay, I’ll just let her know.” Alex pulls out her phone and fires off a text to Maggie, saying she’s going to go with Kara instead for sister night.

“Great, let’s go.”

“Oh wait I have to pay for the food!” Alex gestures to the mountain of empty platters on a nearby table.

Kara raises her eyebrows and shoots Alex a smirk.

“What? I was hungry,” Alex grumbles. She goes to M’gann and hands her a credit card.

“Hey,” M’gann greets, running her card through the system.

“Hi!”

“You feeling alright there?” M’gann hands her the receipt and a pen to sign.

“Yup!” Alex says, scribbling what passes as her name. “Thanks M’gann!”

“Bye…” M’gann  stares at the receipt with a frown. She trusts that Darla wouldn’t have lied to her about Alex not having any alcohol, but her motor skills are definitely impacted by something. M’gann purses her lips and opens her mind up just a tiny bit to sense Alex’s mind state, she won’t betray her trust by actually reading it.

It hits her fast and hard. M’gann stumbles and hits the bar with her hip. She holds her head  and groans.

“Megan?” Darla asks, rubbing her back. “You okay?”

“Fuck.” M’gann closes her mind and shakes her head. “Yea…yea…I’m fine…” She rubs at her head, still feeling the vertigo. She looks around for Alex but she’s disappeared with Kara. “Damn it.”

“Did Alex drink anything?” M’gann asks sternly.

“No? Not that I know…” Darla frowns. “Why?”

“Are you sure she didn’t drink anything?”

“Yea, she only ate some food…”

M’gann’s lips thin to a line and she grabs her purse, slipping out from behind the bar. “Sorry Darla, can you cover for me? I have to go.”

“Wait! Oh come on, you’re making me do a double!”

“Sorry!” M’gann says over her shoulder. She runs to the exit, listening and looking for any sign of Alex and Kara. She curses under her breath. They could be anywhere in the city now. She pulls out her cellphone and calls J’onn.

It goes to voicemail.

“J’onn, call me back as soon as you get this, I think something’s wrong with Alex, she’s with Kara right now so I think she’ll be okay but I don’t think they know she’s been drugged. Call me back okay?” M’gann hangs up. “Damn it.”

She isn’t certain J’onn will get back to her in time. M’gann starts sprinting to the DEO.   

\---

“Maggie hey!” Winn says, brushing the donut crumbs off his shirt.

“Winn,” Maggie says with a smirk. She points to the corner of his mouth. “You still got a little…”

He furiously wipes at his face, smearing the chocolate even more. Maggie chuckles and hands him a Kleenex.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, where’s J’onn?”

Winn whirls around in his chair and startles when J’onn appears suddenly next to him. He smacks his hand over his chest and sucks in a breath. “You have to stop doing that!”

J’onn’s muscles twitch at the effort it takes to stop himself from smirking.

“Detective Sawyer,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “Agent Danvers and Supergirl aren’t here at the moment, I’m assuming this is official business then.”

“I’m afraid so.” Maggie crosses her arms over her chest. “Captain wanted me to handle this, seeing that I have…sympathies with aliens. His words.” Maggie squares her shoulders. “Look, I don’t like criticizing your work with Supergirl—“

“But that’s the issue then?” J’onn asks.

“Yea, a little bit. Those guys who robbed the bank this morning—“

“Oh! The ones with alien weapons,” Winn says, raising his hand. He slowly lowers it at Maggie and J’onn’s look.

“Yea that one,” Maggie says. “They’re using the Supergirl defense.”

“The what?” Winn and J’onn both ask.

“Excessive force, contamination of evidence, crime scene tampering. The list goes on.”

“But…I mean she saves people,” Winn defends.

“I don’t doubt that, sometimes I get that people outside of the law have ways to get things done, but with how Supergirl is dealing with some things? The defense is having a field day with it.”

“I understand Detective,” J’onn says. “But you’re here specifically about the bank robbery this morning?”

“Yea, they’re claiming excessive force and coercion. She ran the car off the road and a few of them broke their bones.” Maggie licks her lips. “And they’re claiming Supergirl threatened them with the alien guns. Not like we can corroborate that because apparently she also took the evidence.”

“That doesn’t sound like Supergirl,” Winn mumbles.

“I would’ve pegged it as them trying every defense in the book, but we do have the bank footage that these guys had alien weapons. Their van is totaled, I have two of them in the hospital with broken bones and concussions and we’re missing the crucial evidence, the actual guns used.”

J’onn clenches his jaw. “And if the weapons were to be…in your care now?”

Maggie shakes her head. “Chain of custody broke as soon as she took them. These guys might get off and other guys she’s apprehended.” Maggie shakes her head. “She needs to learn to work _with_ us. Every criminal she takes out is just going to be back out on the street causing even more damage.”

“I understand your concern Maggie,” J’onn says with a sigh.

“This isn’t Gotham or Metropolis. National City crime rate isn’t high enough for people to give her a free pass.” Maggie gives him a strong look. “She has you guys to keep her in check, to help her. You know as well as I do how fickle the public can be, and especially when there’s…when it seems like it’s escalating.”

Winn’s hands shake. “Escalating…escalating how?”

“One of the officers at the scene said she left those guys bleeding and crying out for help.”

J’onn frowns. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

Winn chews his lower lip, debating with himself on whether or not to bring up his suspicions. He takes a deep breath. He needs to do this.

“J’onn!” M’gann says, out of breath as she jogs towards them.

“M’gann? What’s wrong?”

“You haven’t been answering your phone!”

J’onn slides out his phone from his pocket, the screen showing a red line at the battery icon when he pushes the power button.

“Doesn’t matter.” M’gann waves her hand dismissively in the air. “I think something’s wrong with Alex.”

“What?” all of them say in alarm.

“She was at the bar and she acted drunk and high, she didn’t have a drop to drink.”

“Oh yea,” Maggie says. “She was like that yesterday too, said it might be Elixir?”

“Elixir?” M’gann asks.

“Experimental regenerative drug,” J’onn explains. “Alex got exposed to some radiation two days ago.”

M’gann purses her lips. She shakes her head. “No, that’s not it. I don’t think it’s that. I opened my mind and felt her, I didn’t read her mind but I’ve felt it before, the effects. It’s never pleasant on humans.”

“What isn’t?” J’onn asks.

“It has many names, but I’ve heard it called ‘Delerium’.”

“Wait.” Maggie holds out her hands. “Delerium? You think Alex is on Delerium?”

At M’gann’s nod, Maggie curses under her breath.

“Uh time out, what’s Delerium?” Winn looks back and forth between M’gann and Maggie.

“It’s like a mix or rohypnol and ecstasy, but worse because it’s all alien ingredients and we have no idea what it would do to humans,” Maggie explains. “We’ve been trying to crack down on it, but we already have enough trouble with drug trafficking from other countries let alone other goddamn planets.”

J’onn clenches his fists. “We need to find her.”

“At least she’s with Kara,” M’gann says.

“I’ll call—“ J’onn looks at his dead phone. “Agent Schott, tell Supergirl what’s happened and bring Alex in.”

“That…that might not be a good idea.” Winn nervously wrings his hands. “I don’t…I think Kara…I think she might be…”

“Might be what?”

“Under the influence of Red Kryptonite?”

J’onn sucks in a breath. “How certain are you?”

“Like 70 percent. 80.”

“What is this based off? “J’onn shakes his head.

“She was cruel,” Winn says in a soft voice. “Kara’s…she’s never cruel. She was angry yes, but…she’s never…the only time I’d seen her like that, was under Red Kryptonite.”

“Great, so now we might have a crazy unhinged Supergirl on top of a Delerium outbreak?” Maggie runs her hands through her hair. “It’s just never boring here huh? Alright, I’ll go through my contacts and see how Alex got hit with Delerium—“

“We know how,” Winn interrupts, anger burning in his eyes. “It was Mon-El.”

“Mon-El…shitty Prince of Daxam Mon-El?” Maggie huffs. “Are you kidding me? Actually, should’ve expected that.”

“You’re saying it was in the flowers?” J’onn says. “You suspect he didn’t just plant Red Kryptonite in there.”

Maggie takes a step back and shares a look of disbelief with M’gann.

“Mon-El planted Red Kryptonite in the flowers?” Maggie sighs.

“And Alex got hit with it,” Winn says. “Do you think…what if we didn’t get rid of all the Red Kryptonite? Could Alex…what if she’s still got the radiation in her?”

“We need to find them, now.” J’onn crosses his arms over his chest and looks to M’gann. “We could use your help on this, two Martians against a Kryptonian.”

“Of course.” M’gann nods.

“Now all we have to do is find Kara and Alex,” Winn says. “That’s easy, except oh wait it’s not because Kara can fly. She can be anywhere in the world now.”

“They’re going clubbing,” Maggie says. “At least, that’s what Alex told me last.”

“That’s still a very long list.”

“Turn on her tracker,” J’onn says.

“She has a tracker?” Maggie and Winn both ask.

“Do I have one?” Winn rubs all over his body. “Is it on me? Was it that physical? Oh dear god it was wasn’t it?”

“No, you don’t have one.” J’onn rubs his head. “After Alex got kidnapped one too many times…”

“That is actually not a bad idea,” Winn points out. He follows the instructions on his computer and activates Alex’s tracker. The red dot on the map blinks. “Well at least she’s still in National City.”

“That’s the Pretty Kitty,” Maggie says, tapping his screen.

“Uhh…you know that by just the street intersections?”

“Not many good lesbian clubs around here, that one’s pretty exclusive, not sure if they’ll be able to get in without being on the guest list.”

“Kara was Cat Grant’s assistant, she can get into just about anything.”

“Get me on the list,” Maggie says, already running off.

“What? Why?” Winn shouts after her.

“Agent Vasquez, get a team ready, we may have to contend with a rogue Supergirl and Agent Danvers,” J’onn says.

Vasquez swallows thickly and nods. “Yes sir. I’ll have Trap One and Two and Delta squad ready.”

“We’re going to need back up,” J’onn sighs.

Winn nods. “Let me just get Guardian—“

“Not the time Mr. Schott, and we may need Mr. Olsen if this all goes south.” He turns to Vasquez again. “Get me Director Lane.”

\---

Tossing a handful of pretzels in her mouth, Kara stares unabashedly at Alex dancing in the middle of the dance floor. She watches Alex sway, seeing her move so freely. Kara licks her lips and it has nothing to do with the dry salty pretzels. Her eyes narrow at a woman sliding behind Alex. They can look but they can’t touch. Not with her around.

“Hey,” says an attractive redhead next to Kara. “How about—“

“Not interested.”

The redhead follows Kara’s line of sight and hums appreciatively. “Good tastes, she’s got some moves.”

Kara ignores her, frowning when Alex throws her arms back and dances closer to the strangers around her. She’s ready to swoop in and clear everyone away from Alex when out of the corner of her eye she spots Maggie Sawyer making a beeline for Alex.

Kara tilts her chin up and squints. She doesn’t even have to push people away, her body naturally forcing people from her path to Maggie.

“Maggie,” Kara says, grabbing onto her wrist and steering her away from the dance floor.

“Kara!” Maggie hisses, stumbling after her.

Kara doesn’t let Maggie go and leads them to a wall.

“Fancy seeing you here Maggie,” Kara says, her teeth gleaming in the strobe lights. “Even after Alex told you we were having a sister night.”

Maggie gulps, trying to twist her wrist out of Kara’s hand but ultimately she goes limp when Kara squeezes just a bit tighter. “Didn’t think you guys would be coming here.”

“Is that right?” Kara leans in close. “Or were you hoping to find Alex here?”

Maggie’s heart skips a beat and Kara has her answer.

She tuts and waggles her finger in front of Maggie’s face. “You were the one who rejected her Maggie, I was there to pick up the pieces.”

“This isn’t—“

“Now you want her?” Kara twists Maggie’s wrist, hearing the bones creak. “You don’t get it do you Maggie?” Kara chuckles darkly. “No matter who she dates, who is interested in her, no one will ever have what we have. Alex is _mine_.”

Maggie swallows, her heart thudding in her chest at the feral smile. She nods once. “Yea…yea okay.”

“Glad we understand each other,” Kara says, releasing Maggie’s wrist.

Maggie shakes her hand out, wincing and watching Kara disappear into the crowd. She cups the Bluetooth in her ear. “You get all that?”

 _“Oh yea,”_ Winn says. _“At least she’s just obsessed with Alex and not on a rampage through National City.”_

“Yea well, if anyone else tries to hit on Alex she might just go Rambo on everyone here.”

\---

On the middle of the dance floor, Alex stays perfectly content in her circle, moving her body to the rhythm of the music. But there’s something missing. She sighs, reaching over to tangle her fingers through her hair.

Alex groans and gets tugged into a solid body behind her.

“Hey,” Kara mumbles into Alex’s hair.

“Kara!” Alex drapes her arms over Kara and grins.

“Having fun?”

“Mmhmm…” Alex groans when Kara pulls her hip close and grinds against her. Something at the back of her mind is telling her to retreat, to think and back off, but that quickly gets washed down when Kara nuzzles the back of her sensitive neck.

Kara spins Alex around, face to face and hugs her close. She’s stopped dancing to the music, simply feeling Alex. Alex doesn’t seem to mind, she’s just swaying on her feet, and tugging Kara’s hand up to the back of her neck. Kara obliges, rubbing softly at the muscle and giving Alex that neck massage. With her free hand, Kara tilts Alex’s chin up and presses her forehead against Alex’s.

“You’re _mine_ ,” Kara hisses, digging her fingers into Alex.

Alex groans out loud.

Kara waits until Alex opens her eyes before she roughly pulls Alex in for a kiss. She’s ready for resistance, for Alex to pull away, but that doesn’t happen. Alex throws her arms over Kara’s shoulders and tip toes up, deepening the kiss.

Kara grins.

Alex is hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments, really encourages me to see all your thoughts.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @justanexercise if you wanna drop in and see what I’m working on next. Thanks for reading!


	5. Act 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow has it really been a year? Whoops. Welp, here's the conclusion, hope everyone enjoyed the ride! 
> 
> Special thanks to immo and elo for helping me out with the last chapter.

 

“You lost them?” J’onn growls into his comms, pacing the rooftop above the alleyway leading to the club. “They can be halfway to Nova Scotia by now! What does the tracker say?” He rubs his forehead, listening to Vasquez. “Okay so Alex is possibly still here…but we don’t know if Supergirl is.”

“I’ll fly around, see if I can spot her,” M’gann says, transforming into a Green Martian and taking off into the night sky.

J’onn continues to look for them, coming up with nothing. He checks the rifle filled with the antidote Kara needs to dispel the red kryptonite from her system. Everything is still in working order. His palm brushes the backup pistol clasped to his thigh. He paces now, hearing M’gann say she doesn’t see them anywhere either.

“Get me a visual on them Vasquez,” J’onn commands. He receives an affirmative before his comms start crackling

A metal door clangs against brick wall below in the alley. J’onn stands alert, seeing Kara and Alex safely there.

“I’ve got eyes on them,” J’onn whispers into his comms and receiving an affirmative from the teams out.

\---

“Hey,” Kara says, gently cupping her face, watching Alex stare adoringly at her, sure her own face reflects the same emotions. She presses Alex against the worn brick wall, the thumping bass muffles as the door shuts with a bang.

“Hi,” Alex says with a small sigh.  

Alex is here.

Kara rolls her forehead against Alex’s, stepping closer to Alex. She grabs the back of Alex’s neck, pulling their mouths together, delighted at the pleased gasp Alex can’t contain. It’s been everything she’s dreamed of. Having Alex, here in her arms, wanting her back. Kara tucks her hands under Alex’s thighs, pulling her up against her stomach.

Alex is _hers_.

Alex tilts her head back, biting her swollen lip and locks her ankles around Kara’s back. She groans, rolling her hips against Kara’s stomach. “Fuck…” Alex hisses, her fingers scratching Kara’s neck. “Fuck.”

Kara could keep them here, have Alex right here right now in the dark alleyway behind a lesbian club where…where Maggie is. A surge of hate invades her mind, her eyes whiting out, the need to hurt and claim forcing its way through her mind. She digs her nails into Alex’s thighs, leaving red marks that will turn into bruises in the morning.

“Kara…” Alex moans, rubbing her face into Kara’s neck.

Kara shakes her head, the rage receding back into a tightly coiled box ready to blow. But now, Kara holds Alex against her body, ready to take them back home where Kara can truly show how much she needs Alex, how much Alex belongs to her, with her. Her brilliant plan gets waylaid by a sudden thump next to them. Kara springs back, pushing Alex behind her.

“J’onn?” Kara tilts her head, seeing him in tactical gear and his hands out placatingly.

“J’onn!” Alex shouts excitedly over Kara’s shoulder. “Hey J’onn!”

“Kara. Alex.”

“What are you doing here?” Kara asks, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“We have a problem, and we couldn’t reach you on your phones.”

“We’re taking the night off,” Kara says flippantly, holding Alex close to her while Alex rubs her face against Kara’s shoulder.

“Kara, we need Supergirl.” He darts a glance at Alex, still woozy on her feet. “And sober Alex up.”

“What have you guys been doing before me?” Kara scoffs. “Can’t live without Supergirl for one fucking night?”

His lips thin at the natural curse word. “I’m sorry.” He gestures towards her. “Come on, let’s go back to base.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Kara says, holding Alex up by her side. She kisses Alex’s forehead smiling at the squishy face Alex makes. She looks back at J’onn. “I’m taking her home first.”

“This can’t wait, Alex can sleep it off at the DEO.”

“I’m taking her back home.”

“Kara.”

“I said I’m taking her home.”

J’onn shakes his head sending Kara and Alex his serious Director look. “We need you both.”

Kara’s finely honed super senses sends her warning signals, her ear twitching at the sudden atmospheric change behind her. She’s already moving, super speeding before the rifle can even aim. The muzzle crunches under her fingers.

“Liar,” Kara snarls.

The real J’onn is holding the broken rifle, eyes wide at the vitriol on Kara’s face.

Her eyes glow, priming her heat vision in warning.

“Kara,” he says imploringly. “You’re under the influence of Red Kryptonite.”

Kara sends a warning beam of heat, singing his cheek. M’gann, now in her true form rather than pretending to be J’onn, tackles her from the side. Kara rams against the brick wall, skittering off with M’gann holding her down.

“No!” Alex shouts. As drugged and woozy as Alex is, her first priority is still Kara. Her hands slip against the thin dress, looking for the gun she normally keeps holstered to her thigh. She comes up with nothing. It’s an extraordinary lapse in judgment, forgetting her firearm. Alex blinks hard, her vision blurring.  

It’s a struggle to keep Kara pinned to the ground even with two Martians on top of her.  J’onn twists Kara’s head to aim her heat vision to the ground instead of searing his face off. The plan to keep this fight contained shatters. Her heat vision cuts across the asphalt, trailing up to the nearby buildings and lobbing off chunks off the sides of the buildings.

Kara barely lets up in her fury, screaming and thrashing. J’onn reaches for the second pistol on his thigh when he loses his hold on Kara. Alex tackles him from the side, the surprise more than the impact making him vulnerable. He turns to shield Alex from the careless heat vision Kara’s been letting out, gritting his teeth at the light scorch on his shoulder.

He can hear the nervous and terrified whispers of innocent bystanders near them. J’onn makes a split second decision to keep the damage away from them. He throws Alex over his shoulder and takes off into the sky, knowing without a doubt that Kara will follow him to the ends of the galaxy as long as he has Alex.

\---

As delirious as Alex is, even in this state she recognizes that churning feeling in her gut with sudden flight. She keeps her arms tucked, her mouth closed. She’s going to have to wait for her opening before she can retaliate, if she does anything stupid now she’ll most likely plummet to her death.

Though there is absolute conviction that Kara will not let that happen.

She only needs to wait for Kara to catch her when she falls.

\---

Kara kicks M’gann off her, sonic booming within the confines of the city and shattering more than a few windows on her way up. She growls, following J’onn’s tail.

No one is taking Alex away from her.

Without a human passenger to worry about, Kara can go as fast as she wants to, catching up to J’onn in a few seconds. She stays parallel to him, hundreds of maneuvers already going through her head to incapacitate him. Most of them may cause harm to Alex though. She needs to get Alex away first. She adds a burst of speed, crowding just ahead of J’onn, she flies backwards, eyes glowing in warning.

“Give me Alex!” Red light cracks across her face. “Now J’onn!”

That’s when Alex starts squirming, pulling herself out of J’onn’s hold.

“Alex!” J’onn startles, losing his grip.

Kara bolts, terminal velocity no match for her speed, catching Alex mid-fall. She cradles Alex protectively against her chest, glaring viciously at J’onn and M’gann boxing her in between them. Kara descends back on land, finding that they’re now in the desert. She lets Alex go back on unsteady feet, no longer in danger of falling to her death anymore.

All that matters is Alex.

J’onn and M’gann want to take her away.

Kara’s eyes prime red in warning, facing them as they descend in front of her.

“Stay away,” Kara warns, clutching at Alex’s sagging body.

“Kara,” J’onn puts his hands out in a gesture that signals no harm. “Please, we just—“

“You’re not taking her from me!” Kara growls, the heat in her eyes crackling under pressure.

“We won’t,” M’gann insists. “Kara, Alex isn’t well.” She gestures to Alex, whose breath comes in sharp pants, her skin clammy and her muscles barely able to hold herself up without leaning on Kara.

Kara stills, taking it all in. She brushes back Alex’s sweaty hair and presses her lips against Alex’s too hot forehead.

“Kara…” Alex blinks wildly, her eyes glassy.

“What’s going on?” Kara pins them with an accusatory glare, as if they are the ones that caused this, that they’re the ones poisoning Alex and making her sick.

M’gann and J’onn share a look, expressing thoughts and emotions Kara can’t even begin to decipher through their psychic link.

“She was doused with delirium,” M’gann says. “We need to get her to detox fast, the effects can be catastrophic in a human body.”

Kara’s mind grinds to a halt. She’d heard about this drug before, whispers in some crime syndicates when she’d been taking people into the authorities under Supergirl. As a reporter, she’d come across it but the story had gone to someone else, she hadn’t researched it enough, but she knows enough.

“Alex doesn’t take drugs,” Kara says, narrowing her eyes.

“She was infected,” J’onn explains. “Kara we need to take her in.”

Kara tilts her chin high, holding Alex closer. “I’ll fix it.”

“You’re infected too.” M’gann takes a step forward.

“I am feeling just fine.” She makes her point with her heat vision, slicing the ground right in front of them.

“Kara,” Alex wheezes, barely able to grasp onto Kara’s arm. “Don’t.”

Kara’s fury redirects, why can’t Alex see what they’re doing? The rage pitters out as Kara’s superior senses take note of Alex’s body functions. Her body is overheating, blood pressure rising to dangerous levels, and the stagger in her lungs.

Something is wrong.

“Alex…” Kara sweeps Alex off her feet, carrying her.

Alex’s arms flail about until Kara arranges them to cling around her neck.

“We can help her,” J’onn says, jumping over the flames scorching the ground. “Trust us.”

Kara nearly snarls, everything in her saying they’re tricking her, they only want to take Alex away from her, that she can take care of Alex just fine.

But her ears pick up on Alex’s heartbeat, much too fast.

She groans, her face crackling with red once more.

“I don’t…” Kara squeezes her eyes shut, willing those negative thoughts away. Alex needs her. Alex needs help…medical help.

“You’re infected with Red Kryptonite,” J’onn says. “Kara, let us help you. Let us help Alex.”

Kara’s face lights up again. She shakes her head.

The desire to speed away from them taking root in her mind.

“I…” Kara drops to one knee, looking at Alex’s slack face, now barely able to keep her eyes open. She grits her teeth, the need for Alex growing much stronger. “Help her…”

Kara trembles. She holds Alex out for J’onn, internally telling her rage to take a back seat. M’gann swoops in, taking a barely conscious Alex from her.

“Kara, let us help you too.” J’onn kneels in front of her. “Please.”

Kara growls, all the excuses at the back of her throat. She doesn’t need help. She’s freer than she’s ever been. This is the only way she has the courage to be with Alex.

“We can’t concentrate on Alex if you’re out here on Red Kryptonite,” J’onn says. “We can’t help Alex without you.”

She groans again, holding her hands to her head. The red kryptonite makes its way back to the surface. She punches the dirt down, the redness receding from her skin. At Kara’s stiff nod, J’onn takes out his back up pistol and Kara fights to not react, fights to keep her eyes from heating up and blasting him straight into the sky.

“Do it.” Kara closes her eyes.

He shoots her, the beam of red light stuns her.

Kara writhes on the ground, red mist dissolving out of her body before she loses consciousness.

\---

Alex stirs awake, wincing at the sticky vomit on cheek. Her nose twitches at the stench of bile. Alex just manages to keep herself from throwing up again. She groans, rolling over onto her back, pressing her forearm against her aching eyes. A few beats later, Alex jolts up, eyes wide.

“Kara!” She frantically looks around, trying to spot Kara but finds that she’s in one of the medical containment cells. She’s rarely on this side of the glass unless she’s on cleaning duty. Alex looks down, seeing the stained black tank top and shorts. She shivers, her muscles twitching and her bones ache as if she’d been stuck in icy water for days.

“Alex.”

She spins around, squinting to make out the humanoid shape on the other side of the blurry glass.

“J’onn?”

J’onn sits down, pressing his hand against the glass.

“How are you feeling?”

Alex swallows, feeling the dehydration now. She reaches over for the bottle of water near the chute and downs it, the water spilling over onto her shirt. Another wave of body aches and Alex’s grip on the bottle slips. Alex hugs herself tight, gritting her teeth, waiting for the pain to pass.

“Fuck…” Alex’s head thunks against the glass. “Where’s Kara?”

“How much do you remember?”

Alex’s face scrunches up, her mind sifting through half disjointed memories. “I don’t…what happened?”

J’onn clenches his fists, his eyes glowing red for a moment in his unmitigated rage.

\---

She remembers everything.

Kara covers her face with her hands, a choked sobbing leaving her throat. Kara curls into herself, the sunbed rattling with her desperate cries.

“Kara.”

She peeks between her fingers, half terrified and half anxious to see Alex, she sees the standard DEO polo but it’s not Alex.

“Hey,” Lucy says, uncrossing her arms, her hand smoothing down Kara’s back.

Kara’s breath hitches. She shakes her head. She doesn’t deserve any of this. They should have her locked up with Kryptonite, not here letting her heal. She’s almost afraid to ask Lucy, but since Alex isn’t here, there are only a few reasons why she would not be by Kara’s side as soon as she’s awake.

“Alex…?” Kara lets the question hang.

Lucy frowns, both angry and worried. “She’s detoxing right now.”

Kara is selfishly glad for that answer. That means Alex isn’t here because she can’t be not because she doesn’t want to be.

“How did I get…I don’t remember any red…” Kara swallows, unable to even say the substance that altered her to such an extent.

“From what we can piece together, the red kryptonite was introduced to you from Alex. After she got infected by those flowers Mon-El got.” Lucy practically spits his name out.

Kara stiffens, her face a mask of fury akin to her episode of rage on red kryptonite. “He did this?”

\---

Winn nearly withers under Agent Chang’s blank stare. He employs what Alex taught him, at least outwardly, no more stammering, just a straight face and faux confidence. A beat later where Winn almost sweats, Agent Chang keys in the code and nods as Winn thanks him, slipping into the containment cells.

He’ll need to make this quick before word gets to J’onn and Lucy that he is really here without authorization. He won’t be court marshaled or anything, but that disapproving look and chastisement is not something he needs right now. All he wants to do is set things straight before everything implodes. Mon-El deserves to have his side of the story told before everyone else goes into snap judgment. That’s the American way isn’t it? Innocent until proven guilty?

With J’onn’s fury and Lucy wanting to shoot Mon-El off into the stratosphere the first chance she gets, Winn doesn’t have much time to help him.

He’s a damn idiot for sure, Winn supposes, but he loves Kara right? He wouldn’t have hurt her on purpose.

And Alex.

Winn’s steps falter at that.

He had a look at Alex’s detox cell while J’onn was with Kara before they were awake.

His resolve wavers. Alex could’ve died, and Kara…Kara could’ve wreaked havoc on the whole city. All due to Mon-El’s dumb decision.

He steps in front of the glass of Mon-El’s cell before he has time to change his mind. Mon-El’s just whistling while laying on his bed, perfect nonchalance.

Winn clears his throat.

Mon-El looks over, seeing Winn and smiling brightly. He jumps to his feet.

“Winn!” Mon-El opens his arms wide. “What’s going on?”

“We got Alex and Kara.”

“Oh, good, that’s great!” He looks expectantly at Winn. “Is she coming here?”

“She’s still recovering,” Winn says, frowning.

“Well that’s fine, I’ll go see her then.” He looks at Winn, tilting his head towards the controls.

“I can’t.”

Mon-El’s expression darkens. “Winn, buddy.”

“Why’d you do it?” Winn rubs his forehead. “Just…why? Why’d you steal the red kryptonite?”

“I told you.” Mon-El throws his hands up.

“That’s not a good reason to _poison_ her!”

“I didn’t—“ Mon-El breathes harshly through his nose, calming down. “Look it was stupid okay? Just let me see her, I’ll explain and she’ll tell you it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!” Winn paces. “Alex is stuck in detox, we don’t even know what the hell is happening to her body right now! Kara could’ve _killed_!”

Mon-El looks defensive, crossing his arms over his chest. “They’re fine now aren’t they? And Kara didn’t kill anyone. I knew she wouldn’t. I just wanted her to be _free_ Winn. Let her true feelings come out. It was a very low dose, I didn’t want to hurt her.”

Winn shakes his head. “You did the only thing that would hurt Kara, you hurt Alex.”

A vein throbs in Mon-El’s forehead. “I didn’t mean to do that.” Mon-El switches to a pout, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to hurt Alex alright? It was a mistake.”

“What was a mistake?”

“Hurting Alex, I never meant to do that.”

“You don’t regret getting the red kryptonite do you?” Winn asks, the truth dawning on him.

“I thought it would help her, help us,” he pleads, pressing his palms against the glass. “She was pulling away from me, I just…I didn’t want to lose her.”

Winn’s mouth hangs open. “You _poisoned_ her, it wasn’t just the red kryptonite Mon-El. You put Delerium in there.”

“That was just to help lower her inhibitions!” Mon-El shrugs, trying to appeal to Winn’s bro-ness. “Come on, she was just a bit uptight and I wanted to help.”

“God,” Winn laughs, the only way to even process this moment. “God I thought…I thought you would have a good reason to, I thought…God you roofied her and you’re not even sorry.”

“What? I didn’t—“

“You gave her a date-rape drug you-you…” Winn shakes, bitter that he doesn’t have the power to go into that cell and punch his face.

“That’s not it at all. We used it on Daxam all the time, all those parties we threw? The nobles used it and everyone loved it.”

“Kara’s Kryptonian,” Winn counters. “She doesn’t _do that_.”

“I know I know.” Mon-El shrugs in a helpless gesture. “We’ve had Kryptonian diplomats come to use it before, everyone used it. Sometimes it’s even used to condition new slaves. I might have used the wrong things here on Earth, but it’s just so hard to scavenge for the right ingredients here. Delerium was the closest thing to what we had.”

Winn’s mouth hangs open, it’s even worse than he could have ever imagined. “God, you wouldn’t even consider that rape would you? You’re just…you’re irredeemable.”

Mon-El looks taken aback.

“Come on Winn, I’m a good guy.” His eyes implore Winn to see his way. “I’m a superhero.”

“No Mon-El. You were never going to be a superhero. You were always the villain.” Winn turns his back on him. “I just didn’t want to see it.”

\---

Even with Cat Grant on her sabbatical, Kara still finds refuge on her balcony. In the middle of the night, there’s no one around but a few security guards that can see that it’s only Supergirl there, they’re not likely to bother her. Kara leans against the railing, eyes shut as she hone her super hearing on the same thing she’d been listening to this entire week: Alex’s heartbeat.

When she’d gotten released, it took immense willpower to keep her emotions in check as she listened to Alex’s much too fast heart. The pain in Alex’s voice. Today it’s the same beat as Kara remembers, strong and steady.

“Supergirl.”

Kara’s super senses tone down back to her immediate surroundings. She doesn’t even turn around.

“How did you get up here?” Kara leans back on the railing, raising an eyebrow at Lucy who shuts the door behind her.

“Cat never deactivated my key card,” Lucy says, brandishing piece of plastic. She stands next to Kara, looking out into the night sky.

“How did you find me?”

Lucy hums. “Not hard to figure out where you would be. Close enough in the city to make sure Alex was okay, but at a familiar enough place to brood.”

Kara scowls. “I don’t brood.” It’s not like she’s the bat in Gotham. She doesn’t brood.

“Uh huh.” Lucy points at her face. “Tell that to your crinkle.”

“Lucy—“

“She’s been asking for you, every day,” Lucy lays it on straight away. “She’s getting released today. You should take her home.”

Kara’s gaze drops, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.

“It’s not your fault Kara.” Lucy gently rubs her shoulder.

“How could it not be?” Kara shakes her head, turning to face the city. “It’s my fault Alex…and I…”

“It wasn’t your fault, don’t self-flagellate over Mon-El’s sins.”

“He did it _for me_.”

“No, he wanted to drug you.” Lucy frowns.

“If I hadn’t—“

“Stop.” Lucy puts a hand up. “His actions aren’t your responsibility. No matter what, he was the one who decided to get the red kryptonite, he was the who decided to get delerium. It’s his fault that Alex got hurt, his fault you got infected with red kryptonite. You’re not the one to blame Kara, not one bit.”

Kara hangs her head, clasping her hands behind her neck. “Rao, that might be true but … but what I did to Alex…what I wanted…red kryptonite is only the catalyst.” Kara’s lips wobble. “I can’t forgive myself for it.”

“Then don’t.”

Kara’s head snaps up, looking at Lucy’s passive expression.

“You don’t have to forgive yourself for those things.” Lucy bumps her shoulder against Kara’s. “You’re looking for Alex’s forgiveness.”

“I…” Kara’s eyes dart to the side. Lucy’s right, but how could she even begin to do that?

“Go see her.” Lucy nudges her. “Before she knocks down your door.”

With that, Lucy walks out, leaving Kara to brood alone.

\---

That semester long bender on alcohol back when she’d been in her early 20s has nothing on detoxing an alien drug out of her system. It’s been a week and she’s still feeling it, even though the drugs are 100% out of her system. As soon as she’s cleared for the field, Alex is going to find a way to counteract the drug and also find every delirium dealer and punch them in the teeth. Her fingers slip on the knot again. Alex kicks her feet out in frustration, damning the combat boots for their tricky laces.

There’s three timid taps on the doorway.

“I’m fine J’onn,” Alex says, exasperated, her patience thin from his constant hovering.

“Alex.”

Alex turns her head fast, seeing Kara in her supersuit standing awkwardly at the door. “Kara.”

Kara twists the red cape between her fingers, unable to look directly at Alex. Alex ignores the head rush when she stands up too fast, stepping on her untied laces and nearly falling face first onto the ground. There’s no danger here, not with Kara swooping in to stop Alex’s clumsiness. She helps Alex back onto her seat.

Kneeling on the ground Kara says, “Let me get that for you.”

Kara takes much too long to tie simple knots, lingering there.

“Kara.” Alex hesitantly places her hand on the crown of Kara’s head. “Kara look at me.”

She shakes her head under Alex’s hand. “I’m sorry,” Kara says, her voice breaking. She chokes out a sob. “I’m so sorry.”

Alex’s heart weighs down, her chest tight, seeing Kara breaking down and blaming everything on herself.

“Come here,” Alex says, her fingers grasping Kara’s cape, tugging her up.

Kara reluctantly lets Alex move her until Kara’s perched awkwardly next to Alex, head angled down. Alex presses a finger to the bottom of Kara’s chin, tilting her head up.

“What are you sorry for,” Alex says, her own eyes watering at Kara’s tears.

“Everything.”

Alex purses her lips. “You’re going to have to be a little more specific than that.”

Kara looks bewildered at Alex’s prodding. Her lips tremble. “For-for Mon—“

“Nope. Not your fault.”

“For the delirium,” Kara mumbles.

“Not your fault, you didn’t drug me Kara.”

“But—“

“What else?” Alex interrupts.

“For…” Kara swallows uncomfortably. “For kissing you.”

Alex’s hand slides over Kara’s cheek. She presses her forehead against Kara’s. “I’m not.”

Kara stiffens, back ramrod straight, clamping a hand over Alex’s wrist. “What? You’re not…?” She squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head but Alex refuses to let her go. “You were…you weren’t _you_. And I…I wanted to...”

“I was under the influence yes,” Alex says, tightening her fingers in Kara’s hair. “But out of everyone…I kept coming back to you Kara. I wanted you. And now that I’m…well sober, I still do.”

Kara pulls back, hope shining through. “I …you…are you sure?” She looks suspicious, her expression on the verge of cracking. If Alex were to pull this back, she doesn’t know how she’d ever survive it.  

“One hundred percent mind cleared, and yes, I’m sure.”

Kara still looks like the rug will be yanked out from under her in a split second, that Alex will change her mind at any time. She makes no move so Alex decides then that she needs to be the one to take action. Alex waits, leaning in until there’s no mistaking what she wants to do. She hovers there, lips almost touching Kara’s. Another beat, and Kara does not make any move. Alex closes her eyes, pressing their lips together.

She knows she’s made the right choice when Kara breaks, body bowing forward, tugging Alex close.

\---

There hadn’t been anymore kisses after that. No, Kara wants to wait. She needs to have Alex be completely and totally in her mind and sure about this potential relationship.

That doesn’t mean they’re not dating though, cautiously.

Sister nights become date nights. Not much has changed, except for more cuddling, hand holding, and gazes that linger. They sleep over at each other’s apartments, not wanting to be apart. Kara still feels her cheek tingling from Alex’s parting kiss before leaving for the DEO.

At Winn’s desk, Kara busies herself with stealing his snacks while she concentrates on the better event of the day. Alex is going to be cleared for field duty, she’s physically back on track, and has been annoying Dr. Chakrabarti incessantly about field duty. She supposes if he wants some peace and quiet he would do that.

Kara munches on a red vine, hiding her smile with chewing. Alex can be a real brat if she wants to be. Kara almost sighs whimsically. The past few days with Alex had been amazing. They’re actually going for a relationship. Even if Kara still feels guilty for how it had come to light, she’s grateful now that they have each other.

“Supergirl,” J’onn says, approaching her with Lucy.

Kara slides the tub of red vines back into Winn’s hiding spot. Now she has to face the other thing she’d been putting off. Mon-El.

Lucy had gotten her official statement after the fact, it has to stay in house since the government as a whole hasn’t even officially recognized any alien species. Kara thinks that’s completely ignorant, she’ll have to write another op-ed about it and pitch it to Snapper. Aliens have been living on this planet for centuries, willfully denying that fact is childish. Adults have object permanence, yet they dig in their heels and hide their eyes from the truth as if that would make it disappear.

But with that convenient loophole, they can detain Mon-El indefinitely at the DEO.

Something she is not comfortable with.

He deserves a fair trial.

All of them do.

“Hey,” Kara waves half-heartedly.

“We’re transferring him to the desert facility today,” Lucy says. She notes Kara’s crinkled forehead. “We’ll be treating him as humanely as possible.”

Kara scoffs. “Indefinite detainment without trial is not humane.”

“I know,” Lucy says, eyes open and honest. “But we don’t have a system to process aliens—“

“Which is stupid.”

“—and we’ll do the best we can with what we’re given. He stole government property, a radioactive substance. He violated federal law as well as international law.” Lucy shakes her head. “Not to mention what he did with it.”

“I know,” Kara grits her teeth. “I know what he did, it just…it still isn’t right.”

“I agree,” Lucy says while J’onn nods his head.

“We’re working with some very tough headed government officials to get the process of having fair trials with aliens,” J’onn says with a grimace. “And keeping them from outright capturing all potentially harmful aliens.”

Kara nods, she knows a lot of the horror stories. Not even having her and Superman as a symbol can keep bigotry at bay.

At least this time, there is no doubt Mon-El is guilty of crimes. Even on Krypton, it would not be a trial of peers but rather a tribunal. He would be confined to a prison in the phantom zone until his punishment is over.

As Kara Danvers, she’ll do better. There is no doubt that the DEO is not the only facility to detain aliens indefinitely for just the crime of existing on earth. Kara is already planning in her head how to reach out to these facilities, maybe she’ll ask Lucy for some help, maybe even Lois. After all, their father is one of those who most likely has one of those black sites.

A part of her wants him to rot there.

That makes her fear the red kryptonite is still in her system, even though they’ve checked every day at her insistence. She’s no longer under the influence.

The sentiment still stands though.

“Do you want to see him?” Lucy asks.

Kara stares down at the tip of her boots. She could confront him. She could ask him _why_. She could try to talk some sense of morality into him. She could do all those things, but in the end, she knows she’s not ready to face him. She knows that he is not remorseful, talking to him would not bring her the closure she needs.

“No.”

Lucy nods, squeezing her shoulder in a show of solidarity. “Okay.”

\---

Alex scowls when Ravi nearly blinds her with his penlight, again.

“Seriously?” Alex kicks her feet out petulantly.

He easily side steps her, too used to Alex acting out when she’s a patient. “Just one more test Alex.”

Alex scoffs when Ravi tosses a ball at her face. She catches it easily, throwing it back at his head. He ducks with a yelp.

 “Well then,” Ravi straightens his coat, acting cool and composed. “Seems like your reflexes are in order.” He rubs at his chin, frowning when there is no friction on his fingers.

“Knock knock,” Kara says, knocking on the door frame.

Alex smiles, her body relaxing at the sight of Kara. “Hey.”

Kara steps in, automatically standing close to Alex. “Is everything—“ Kara pauses, seeing Ravi. “Hey, you shaved!”

Ravi pouts. “A pre-emptive maneuver I’m afraid.”

“God, I wasn’t going to burn your beard off!” Alex then mumbles, “Unless you don’t clear me for duty.”

“Alex!” Kara nudges her.

“Kidding,” Alex lies.

Ravi shakes his head, hiding his amused smile behind his clipboard. He takes an extra moment to scribble nonsense on Alex’s chart. “I’m afraid—“

“Oh come on!” Alex cries out.

“—that you’ll be tormenting agents once more.”

Alex perks up. “I’m cleared?”

“Yes. Now get out.” He points to the door.

She hops to her feet, giving him a sloppy salute. “Yes sir!”

Alex grabs Kara’s hand, tugging her out of the room.

“And I don’t want you back for at least a month Danvers!” Ravi shouts behind them.

Kara stares at their joined hands. It’s as if Alex doesn’t even care that they’re practically parading their change in relationship throughout the DEO. She bites her lip, cautious about what they would think, what Alex would think of it. But whenever she looks to see, no one even bats an eye that Agent Danvers is tugging Supergirl along.

“Come on,” Alex leads them to the balcony. There they have a little bit of privacy when Alex activates the frosted glass. “You okay?” She rubs Kara’s hands between hers.

“Yea…”

“Really?” Alex raises an eyebrow.

Kara just nods, pressing her forehead against Alex’s. “Really really.”

Alex hums, but doesn’t push it. She clears her throat. “Let’s celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” Kara parrots, her hands sweaty. Alex still hasn’t let go, in fact she takes both of her hands and kisses her knuckles.

“Yea.” Alex smiles so beautifully.

“…being cleared for field duty?”

Alex wraps her arms around Kara’s neck, pressing her forehead against Kara’s neck. “That…or celebrate us?”

“Like a date?” Kara’s heart hammers, pulling Alex into a comforting hug.

“Yea. A real date. Outside.” Alex pats her back. “Come on, take me somewhere romantic.”

Kara swallows, all the possibilities in her head coming to fruition.

She can take Alex anywhere in the world, for their first official date. She’s got her future in her arms, leaving her past behind her. Kara shoots off into the sky, holding Alex as close as she can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this story and would like to motivate me more with some helpful caffeine, feel free to find me on my tumblr to aid on my quest to drink milk tea. 
> 
> https://bit.ly/2J0pl7n


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